Enshrined in My Heart
by L.Lawliet13
Summary: AU-Ichigo is a member of Division Five who works for Aizen, believing his is empty and unable to truly feel he allows himself to be used however Aizen wants. Until luck has him transferred to Division Six and Byakuya discovers his heart, and saves his soul. But will it be enough to keep Ichigo from ripping the world apart?
1. Chapter 1

**Beware of characters being somewhat ****OOC ****and innuendos cheesy enough to make you want to cry *ha-ha-ha* courtesy of Gin of course. Also, mentions of intimate activity throughout the chapter, but nothing explicitly written (yet) and implications of Aizen/Ichigo for this chapter only.**

**I would like to thank Chiyoo (guest reviewer on The Moon and The Ocean) for suggesting a storyline with a more aggressive Byakuya... I assure you, when Byakuya finds out what is going on he is going to be very aggressive with Ichigo, in all the right ways!**

**Chapter One: The Beginning of Everything:**

Betrayal was something that didn't bother Ichigo, since joining Division Five and being privy to Aizen's true identity betrayal was merely something he had come to accept and understand.

He disliked Tousen's ideals about justice, the man was as corrupt as the God he swore fealty to and was twice as cold-hearted. He was, however, a fantastic teacher; Ichigo did respect how the man tutored his prodigy Hisagi, although it was quite clear that the Fuku-Taichou would never betray Soul Society, even for the sake of making his Taichou proud.

Curiously, he found Gin's company welcoming and enjoyable. The silver haired male was as sly as a fox and as deadly as a snake, but he had an excellent sense of humour.

He had been encompassed into this fellowship of traitors only recently, Aizen had poached him in his fifth year at Shino Academy and he had been proving his loyalty ever since. He was being brought into the fold concerning certain of Aizen's plans, including the plan surrounding a certain object created by Urahara Kisuke.

Fascinating and terrible as they were, he was surprised by the risks involved in Aizen's plans, although he had planned everything perfectly, Aizen seemed to leave an awful lot down to chance.

Like the fact that Gin and Tousen wouldn't kill each other before his plans were completed.

"Why go to tha' trouble of bein' all proper in a fight... When ya can just stab 'em in the back?" Gin whined.

"It is dishonourable to attack your opponent from behind." Tousen stated, "Not that a man like you has any honour to consider."

"Aww Tousen! Why do ya have to be so harsh to meh?!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes as the two Captains bickered like children, sipping his tea as he waited for Aizen to arrive to the meeting. Having learned early on that Aizen was a man of impeccable punctuation, he had taken to arriving extra early to these meetings.

He glanced around as the door opened to reveal the cinnamon haired male; his eyes were wide and warm - the best article of his facade. As soon as the door slid shut and was locked, his eyes became narrowed and became colder; more calculating, and manipulative.

"Ah, I see you have already arrived. Excellent." He sat down at the small table they were congregated around and picked up the cup of tea which they had left for him; they sat in silence for several long minutes, a normal factor in this meetings, before Aizen cleared his throat and began to speak again, "Ichigo, how is your Bankai coming along?" he asked the orange haired Shinigami curiously.

"Progressing slowly," he answered with a grumble, "I have reached the point of calling Zangetsu into a fully manifested form, but beyond that things are going slowly."

"I see," the brunet sighed, "A pity, it would have been a great help if you were able to use Bankai. But it will come in time; if you are at that stage already I am certain it will not take too much longer."

There was a pause while he sipped his tea, chocolate brown eyes flicking between his three accomplices in a calculative manner.

"I have discovered recently that Division Six's Taichou, Kuchiki Byakuya, somewhat suspects me of being less tha than trustworthy." He told them with a sigh, "As such I believe it would be a good idea to place someone we can trust to a degree within Division Six to inspect whatever evidence Kuchiki has which has made him so suspicious," his gaze slowly moved to Ichigo, "Are you up to such a task?"

The strawberry looked up at him, "Of course I am," he said instantly.

"Excellent. Then I will fill in the necessary paper work and have you transferred by tomorrow." Aizen announced.

"How will we conceal tha' true purpose of tha' transferral? All tha' Squads know that Ichi~berry is a good boy who loves working _under_ ya, Aizen-Taichou." Gin asked, poking Ichigo's cheek as he spoke.

"Easily." Aizen responded with a sip of tea, "Only this morning Kuchiki put out an application for a new Squad member with seated officer experience. It is most unfortunate, however I believe their third seat was viciously killed yesterday morning." He added.

"What a coincidence." Ichigo murmured with amusement.

"Indeed." Aizen stared at Ichigo for several moments, "Of course, as Gin so rightly suggested, everyone knows that you are a _loyal_ subordinate who loves working for me-"

"I said _under_ ya, Aizen-Taichou!" Gin said in a sing-song tone.

The brunet sighed, "Yes, I know you did Gin, I was simply trying to avoid embarrassing Ichigo with your innuendos."

"I wouldn't bother... They're mostly spot on anyway." Ichigo said bluntly as he finished his tea and raised an eyebrow suggestively at his superior.

"Indeed..." Aizen smirked at him knowingly before clearing his throat, "As I was saying, you shall have to make it believable Ichigo; the last think I want is for you to come under scrutiny as well."

"Don't worry Taichou; I can be very _convincing _when I have to be."

"Oh I am aware of it."

Gin looked between them for a moment before he chuckled, "Shall Tousen 'nd I leave ya two it so ya can say your goodbyes in a more... _Horizontal_ position, Aizen-Taichou; Ichi~berry?"

"No, there will be no need for that Gin." Aizen responded quickly; his expression heated as he looked at Ichigo, silently stating that there would be time for such activities later.

It was just an hour and a half later when Ichigo arrived at Division Six's gates, carrying the filled out application form which Aizen had filled out; he was admitted by the guards and looked around the Barracks.

There were small green verges every so often which housed a couple of trees, usually cherry blossoms, and the rooms were well presented and had an elegant appearance to them. There were no Shinigami wandering aimlessly around the walkways like in Division Five, it seemed as though Kuchiki Byakuya's desire for order extended to his subordinate's free time as well; as he walked he encountered two training grounds, one which was a lot larger than the other and they were packed with training Shinigami, which somewhat explained the lack of them on the walkways.

He sighed and found his way to the Seated Officer's office and continued a short way on from there, seeing the Fuku-Taichou's office and finally, the Taichou's office.

Striding up to the door he paused momentarily as he heard voices on the other side, they sounded like Kuchiki and Renji.

"_After yesterday's shocking discovery of our third seat I am more certain than ever that Aizen is more than what he appears to be, I am almost certain that the person who applies to fill the post will be from Division Five. So depending on who it actually is we may need to watch our backs Renji."_ Byakuya's stoic voice carried through the wooden door and made Ichigo smirk.

Renji's voice baritone echoed next, _"I agree Taichou, but I'd still like to bring Ichigo in on this; he should know what sort of man he is working for..."_

"_I know he is your friend but we cannot risk it. If even a drop of information reaches Aizen my investigations will be over before they have even begun."_

Ichigo pulled back and considered his options for a moment before he shrugged and knocked on the door loudly, he waited until he heard Kuchiki call for him to enter and he then slid the door open and bowed to them both as he entered.

"Kuchiki-Taichou, Abarai-Fuku-Taichou... Aizen-Taichou sent me to deliver this to you." He strode forwards and flourished his application form in front of the raven haired Taichou.

"Ah, of course I had been expecting some forms to come back in today but I must say that no one seems to have any spare Division members. Yours is the first back." The noble responded, unfurling the paper and scanning his eyes over it, "Well... You are very qualified for the position and Renji has vouched for your skill many times over, so much so that my ears ache constantly in fact."

Renji pinked at the cheeks slightly, "Sorry Taichou."

"It's fine." He said simply before he set the application down and stamped his Division's Crest onto the bottom left corner, "Very well, welcome to Division Six Kurosaki Ichigo. The former third seat's room as been empties of his belongings and the furniture replaced, it is ready for you to move into, as is the office you passed on your way here. A plaque with your name on it will be nailed to the door tonight, ready for you to begin your duties tomorrow. Is that acceptable?"

"Absolutely." The orange haired male answered, looking him straight in the eye, "I look forward to working... _Under_ you, Kuchiki-Taichou."

The raven haired male's eyes seemed to widen momentarily, almost as though he detected the hint of an innuendo in the other's words before the surprise was hidden behind his facade of dispassion again, "Likewise. Dismissed Kurosaki-san."

He inclined his head and backed away, exiting the room with a smug smirk twitching at his lips as he began walking eagerly back out of the Division, now that he had begun his task, it was time for his _goodbye_ with Aizen.

"Yo, Ichigo wait up!" Renji called, jogging towards his friend.

Ichigo almost groaned but stopped and looked around it him, "Hey Renji. What's up?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to catch up. We haven't spoken much since the graduation ceremonies," he trailed off and looked at him, "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Ichigo responded, "Things have been pretty busy, I've been training to obtain Bankai."

"Wow that's great! How close are you to getting it?"

"Aizen-Taichou doesn't think it'll take too much longer now; I've reached a full manifestation." The strawberry began walking along side him as they headed towards the exit, "How are you?"

"That's brilliant Ichigo! Well done mate, I'm happy for you! I can help you if you need it, so can Taichou, he doesn't mind giving up paperwork time if it is to train with a half decent opponent." He grinned before shrugging, "It's not bad with me either, being Fuku-Taichou has a lot of responsibility but I like it; working with Kuchiki-Taichou isn't so bad either."

"Even though he took Rukia from you once?" he asked.

"Ah well... That's all sorted out now, ever since I achieved Bankai and slightly thrashed him in a fight, things have been much better." He shrugged, "And he is nicer to Rukia too now."

"Well that's something I guess." He had to restrain a snort at the thought of Kuchiki being _nice_ to anyone but his own reflection.

They walked in silence together for a short while, it was comfortable and unstrained. Renji was observing Ichigo the whole time that they walked together, he was curious about the changes he saw in his friend, changes which made him wonder if this was the same guy he had grown up with.

Once upon a time, Ichigo had been a shy and bashful child who blushed easily and spent a lot of his time slouching over to hide his small and weak frame, he had been a meek child; slightly plain and his ego was barely big enough to fill and egg cup. But now Ichigo was confident, almost arrogant on some occasions; he stood tall and proud, his form muscular and firm; he was a strong and very attractive young man, almond shaped chestnut eyes framed by thick lashes and a lightly tanned face enclosed with shaggy sunset orange hair.

Renji sighed and looked away, his Taichou had noticed Ichigo as well; having known him from the time that he had adopted Rukia; in the few personal conversations he had shared with his Taichou he had come to realise that Byakuya's interest in Ichigo wasn't purely professional, there was _lust_ too.

In his opinion, that lust was dangerous for the both of them. His Taichou had not cared for anyone in such a way since the death of his wife and Ichigo... Ichigo was frivolous and very _wild_ when he wanted to be. Hinamori had told him several slightly disturbing things about Ichigo's relationship with Aizen-Taichou and they sent chills down his spine to think of Ichigo entertaining Aizen's diabolical sexual fantasies.

... Okay so he didn't **know** if Aizen had diabolical sexual fantasies. And he didn't **know **if Ichigo entertained them. In fact he didn't even **know** if Ichigo was interested in other men. So... Maybe he was making assumptions because he didn't want Ichigo or his Taichou to get hurt.

"You have been staring at me for about fifteen minutes now Renji. Should I be in fear for my safety?" Ichigo said suddenly, looking at his friend in amusement.

Renji jolted and pinked slightly, "N-No! I was just... Thinking about how much you've changed since we were in Inuzuri."

Ichigo snorted, "Yeah, back then I was a pathetic little runt."

"You shouldn't be so harsh on yourself. We were all pretty weak back then." The redhead sighed, patting his friend on the shoulder, "Tell you what, why don't we go out for a drink tonight. We'll invite Rukia and a couple of others as well, make a night of it!"

"As nice an idea as that is Renji... I am afraid I must decline." He replied as they reached the Division gates, he turned to face his friend, "I have a prior engagement. But we can go for a drink anytime now, and seeing as you will be my superior I expect you to pay." He smirked.

"What was I thinking... You haven't changed at all."

"See you tomorrow." He winked before disappearing in a flicker of Shunpo.

Renji stared at the space Ichigo had occupied just seconds before and sighed heavily, "A prior engagement huh?" he shook his head and turned his back on the entrance and made his way back towards his room to sulk.

Ichigo sat down opposite Aizen on his desk, resting back on his hands as he gazed at the brunet running his hands up and down the inside of his slightly parted thighs slowly and tauntingly. The strawberry's eyes glazed over with desire and his cheeks dusted with blush as he watched him.

"So Kuchiki believed the agenda of transferring you to replace his third seat?" Aizen asked, not ceasing the movement of his hands.

"Of course," he replied breathlessly, biting his lip, "Although, before I went into the room I overheard him and Renji talking. He thought perhaps that you might send someone to apply, though he didn't assess that it would be me, I think Renji's belief in me is hiding the possibility that I am a traitor from Kuchiki's eyes."

"That's very good," he glanced up at the face of his subordinate, "Continue your friendship with Abarai at all costs, if it conceals your true purpose from Kuchiki it will be most helpful."

"Yes, Aizen-Taichou." He responded mechanically.

"Excellent. With that out of the way, I do believe we agreed upon a more horizontal farewell didn't we?" the brunet breathed as he slowly stood up, pushing his hands up Ichigo's thighs until he gripped his hips firmly.

"Yes I believe you mentioned something of the sort." Ichigo murmured, watching him unflinchingly as he removed his glasses and swept his hair back off his face.

"Mm, indeed I did." He said before claiming his mouth roughly and brutally.

**A/N:** **And I am going to leave you hanging there! I hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Beware of characters being somewhat ****OOC****.**

**What an AMAZING response to the first chapter! I am completely bowled over by the reviews I got so THANK YOU! I hope this chapter is just as enjoyable!**

**Chapter Two:**

Ichigo's room was surprisingly lavishly decorated. The walls were christened white with large red dots which meandered the walls in elaborate swirls; there were also splashes of orange swirls, and Ichigo immediately came to the conclusion that Renji and Rukia had been in to redecorate before his arrival. For no one else would have dared to put _orange_ on the walls of a room which he was going to live in. However, it was elegantly in its integrity and he found that he rather liked it.

It was a larger room than the one he had had in Division Five, there were more rooms for a start; better furnishings and a bigger bed - in his old room as soon as he walked in he was in the bedroom; there was a cubbyhole of a bathroom and a kitchen just large enough to swing a small kitten. Yet here, the front door led to the lounge area; the bedroom was through a door over the far side with an en-suit bathroom with a both a luxurious shower and a bath; the kitchen, which was on the other side of the lounge, was large enough to squeeze six or seven people in which room to swing a tiger.

He liked it.

He didn't bother to examine the other rooms too closely; he knew that if Rukia and Renji had been around and decorated he wouldn't have anything to worry about. Even though he had barely seen either of them since he had begun to work for Aizen, they knew his taste in colours never changed.

He sat down and ran his fingers over the leather seat and sighed, he felt spoiled. He had practically been handed the position of Third Seat on the whim of Aizen's plan to place a spy in Division Six; his former two best friends had redecorated without letting him worry over it and he was little more than willing sex on legs for the former and a traitor to the latter two.

He had distanced himself from Rukia and Renji as soon as he had slipped under Aizen's control; he knew he couldn't continue a true and honest friendship with them when he was really plotting to assist another with their downfall. Aizen had found him in the Academy in the same year as Renji, Rukia, Hinamori, and Kira; on the occasion that he had question the man, Aizen had said that the thing that had drawn him to Ichigo hadn't been his hair, but the dead look in his eyes. He had played dumb on that occasion, pretended to be confused by his statement but in reality he knew what Aizen had been referring to.

Ichigo couldn't remember why his heart had disappeared, but it had happened and he had been left without it ever since. There was a hole in his memory, a blank space which refused to be filled by any kind of acknowledgement or recollection and it was at that point, when the blankness had come into being that his heart had vanished. He often wondered if something had happened to him that he had blanked out, something which had rendered him incapable of true feeling.

Naturally he felt fear, panic, pain, lust, and desire; sometimes he even ventured to believe that he felt something akin to trust, but that was a wishful thought. He felt a link to the people he had once called 'friend' but at the end of the day he felt no real sense of loyalty to them, no sense of love or reliance. The only person who had ever dragged a sense of loyalty from him was Aizen Sousuke, and in that man's eyes he was a beautiful; loyal; attractive; willing killing machine.

He had yet to be ordered to kill someone, but he knew it wouldn't be long. Gin had killed for Aizen; Tousen had killed for Aizen... Even Aizen had killed for Aizen, as strange as that sounded. But Ichigo, for some reason he was being kept back for something; Aizen had dared to tell him that it was something important. He longed to know what it was, but the man had refused to tell him - teasing him no doubt.

Ichigo got to his feet and paced the lounge for a few moments before he sighed and walked out, looking around the Division curiously before he sensed out Kuchiki's reiatsu. He wasn't in his office; he seemed to be over at Division One in fact.

A small smirk twitched at his lips and he headed through the Division, this was his best chance to search his new Taichou's office for the evidence he had which had made him suspicious of Aizen.

He arrived at the door to the man's office and glanced around before attempting to open it; frowning as he discovered that it was locked. Kuchiki really was distrusting of his subordinates it seemed.

He crouched down, making another sweep of the surrounding area for reiatsu before he pulled out an elegant lock picking kit, provided courtesy of Gin. That man was a damn legend!

Ichigo deftly began to pick the lock, slipping different instruments in and out of the lock, twisting a couple of times in one direction before grabbing another tool and using it to twist in the opposite direction.

A triumphant grin appeared on his face as he heard a satisfactory click; Ichigo hastily packed his things away and stood back up, glancing behind himself before sliding the door open and heading inside. He shut the door after himself and turned to face the empty room before him.

The office was unchanged, save for the in tray and out tray, the latter of which was full to the brim while the former was as barren as the Hueco Mundo wastelands. Kuchiki was a man who believed in order, believed in getting things done. And on this occasion, Ichigo was happy to compare himself to the nobleman.

He strode over to the immaculately kept desk and sat down, searching through the drawers for anything which might link back to Aizen or his plans. He paused as he found a shiny disk which was in a plastic case and pulled it out of the bottom drawer; the strawberry haired young man looked it over curiously, pausing as he saw the word 'evidence' scrawled across a label on the front of the case. He slipped the disk into his kosode and stood up, carefully putting everything back how it had been before he made his way towards the door.

The sound of his new Taichou had him freezing in his tracks and he sucked in a breath, sensing the nobleman's reiatsu on the other side of the door. Swearing inwardly, Ichigo dove over the desk and slipped beneath it, hearing the door slide open.

"It was extremely forgetful of me to leave behind my paperwork, Renji, I apologise. And I must admit that my mind has been elsewhere." The raven haired noble announced as he entered the office.

"It's alright Taichou, everyone is allowed an off day every now and again, it isn't like you make a habit of it after all." The redhead answered as he followed him.

"Thank you," Kuchiki answered simply, walking towards his desk, "Have you seen Kurosaki yet?"

"No, Taichou, he is supposed to be moving into his room today but I haven't seen him yet, I'll probably drop in and see him later." Renji sighed.

"You still are uncomfortable with my decision to keep him in the dark aren't you?" the noble asked, his back facing his Fuku-Taichou.

"I..." Renji sighed and looked down, "Yes Taichou, I can't help but worry about him. If everything is as you've said and Aizen is... Ichigo is strong and influential amongst the Divisions and I... I think that Aizen might target him in an attempt to... Win him over."

"What?" Byakuya turned to face him suddenly.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at Renji's astute declaration. It was impressive in his mind that the man had even considered such a possibility, even if he was somewhat late with it.

"Well, what I mean to say is that: Ichigo is young; he is strong and he had friends in all Thirteen Divisions, he is very influential and if Aizen realises that then I fear that he will use Ichigo for his goals." Renji said softly, frowning weakly at the thought of it.

"I see... That is quite the theory Renji..." Byakuya frowned faintly as well, "Leave it a little longer but keep an eye on him, if you can try and limit the amount of time that he is on his own and report to me immediately if anything suspicious happens."

"I will Taichou." The redhead nodded once.

The nobleman turned back to his desk, slightly troubled by what Renji had just told him; he gathered his paperwork up in its file but paused for a moment, picking up a roll of sticky tape which he was certain he had put in his top drawer before leaving. A frown passed his gaze before he shrugged lightly and walked around to his chair, looking at Renji as he put the tape away again.

"There is one thing which troubles me Renji," he said, closing the drawer again and walked over to his Fuku-Taichou, "What if Aizen has already got to him?"

The redhead stared for a moment before he swallowed, "I... I don't know, Taichou, he's been in Division Five for eighteen months now, and if Aizen's already been dripping poison in his ears then..."

"Then it's likely Kurosaki was transferred for the purpose I feared. To gather information and recover the evidence I had on Aizen's actions." The raven haired male sighed, "I have no proof of this; it is mere speculation, however, I will be watching him very closely from now on. When you see him later, tell him I want him to come to the training grounds, I will begin assisting him in achieving Bankai."

"Is it wise to help him with that, when we aren't sure that he is on our side?" the redhead questioned his expression troubled.

"I am uncertain, however I cannot be seen to be suspicious, or else we could all be in greater danger than we first realised."

Ichigo held his breath as he listened to them discussing him so freely, hardly believing his luck that he had been present to hear their conversation; he could prepare for their questioning, their watching with ease if he knew that they were planning to do it. Luck was on his side it seemed, as Kuchiki then left with Renji, without locking the door again.

He left it a few moments, ensuring that the two had actually left the room, before he climbed out from under the desk and released a breath that he had been holding since he had been forced to hide.

The strawberry haired young man brushed himself down and checked that he still had the disk in his uniform before he headed over to the door and slid it open; he glance out before he scurried out, shutting the door behind him before he darted off in a burst of Shunpo.

Aizen rested his chin on his knuckles as he watched the recording play out, his eyes narrowing faintly as he saw himself, Gin and Tousen disappearing through a Garganta in the middle of the night; followed by footage of several experimental Shinigami deaths and Hollowfications.

"You have done exceedingly well to get this information so fast Ichigo," the brunet murmured, stopping the recording, and looking at his orange haired subordinate, "It will make it much easier to simply make this disappear."

"It was no problem, Aizen-Taichou," he responded, "It may become harder, they came back while I was in Kuchiki-Taichou's office and hid, overhearing them talking it seems that Renji has realised that you might make a move to get me on your side. I believe they are both going to be watching me more carefully from now on. Not that it is a problem, I can do my job."

"Interesting, I didn't believe Abarai possessed enough brain function to come up with something like that." The brunet smirked, "Don't worry, when the time is right you will be by my side where you belong, Ichigo, for now you simply have to keep them sweet."

The strawberry nodded and checked the time, "I should return to my room before I am missed, I'm to start my official duties tomorrow and today was to be an opportunity for me to get acquainted with the Division's layout."

"Of course," Aizen stood up and walked towards him, resting a hand on his shoulder, "I am very impressed Ichigo, if you continue like this I have no doubt you will have a glistening career with me when we leave this place. Well done."

"Thank you, sir." He smiled faintly, "I am glad I can be of service."

Aizen watched the young man as he left his room and smirked slightly as he sat back down behind his desk, he watched the footage Ichigo had collected for him once more before he took the disk and used his reiatsu to disintegrate it into nothingness. It would take Kuchiki more than a disk to capture him.

Ichigo re-entered Division Six and pondered Aizen's words, for some reason he felt a hint of reluctance to simply accept that he had done a good job, regardless of what the man had said. He knew, better than most, that Aizen's true nature was dark and twisted; he was a man of desire and aspiration who planned things to the very immaculate end, yet who also enjoyed the thrill of the chase and the possibility of being uncovered before he was ready.

If it was what it took, Ichigo would do whatever he had to to see Aizen's ideals realised. He had nothing else to do with his life, he cared little for the true meaning of being a Shinigami, and without true emotions he had weak bonds to the people who treated him as a friend.

He was about to open the door to his room when he sensed Renji's reiatsu approaching; he looked around and raised his eyebrows at the redhead's flushed expression.

"Yo, Ichigo!" he greeted with a grin.

"Hey," he replied as he looked at him, "Have you been Shunpo training again?"

"Yeah, how did you guess?"

"Aside from the fact you look like you've been running around Seireitei carrying Yamamoto?" the strawberry asked, "You're face is flushed at you stink like sweat."

Renji pouted and sniffed himself, "Right, sorry about that I haven't had a chance to grab a shower yet..."

"No problem, I'm used to it, you were always training too hard in Shino, trying to impress Rukia." He smirked.

"Whatever bastard," the tattooed Fuku-Taichou grumbled, "Anyway, Kuchiki-Taichou would like you to meet him at the training area."

Ichigo swore inwardly, he had forgotten that part of the conversation he had overheard in the office, "Alright, I'll just grab Zangetsu and then I'll head over."

"Alright mate; good luck." Renji clapped him on the shoulder and retreated towards his office to do some work.

Ichigo sighed and went into his room, picking up the large Zanpakto before he turned and headed back out again, now wishing he had spent longer out of the Division so that he could avoid this attempt at training with the nobleman. It was hardly his idea of fun.

He checked the smaller training area first and found it to be packed with Division Six members who had some free time; he realised quickly that his new Taichou wasn't there so he headed to the bigger area. He saw the man he was searching for stood in the centre of the circular fenced off area of sand, he stared transfixed as he saw elegant twisting; weaving whirls of vibrant pink rising and falling around Kuchiki's feet, twinning around his arms and hands when he lifted them; his lengthy locks of raven hair blew lightly around him in the breeze created by the rupture of his reiatsu.

Shaking himself, Ichigo vaulted the fence and started towards him, raising an eyebrow as he saw that the nobleman's eyes were shimmering with a soft white light. He remained silent for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"Kuchiki-Taichou," he greeted, "Renji said you wanted to see me."

The man's eyes flicked to his for a moment before they returned to their usual steel grey colour and the blossoms surrounding him rose up and solidified back into their katana form, "Thank you for coming so quickly, Kurosaki-san."

"I didn't have anything else on." He said simply.

"Of course," the man breathed before he swept his hair over his shoulder, "I will be straight with you, regardless of what Renji had told you it is unusual for me to train my subordinates personally; I am doing so with you because I believe that you have great potential and I would like to assist you in achieving it."

"I understand Kuchiki-Taichou." he responded mechanically.

Raising one perfect eyebrow at the obligatory response of the orange haired Shinigami, the Taichou lifted his katana slowly, "Very well, then... Show me at which level you are currently at. I want to feel your strength, Kurosaki."

"Yes, sir." The strawberry reached around and grasped the bandaged hilt of his Zanpakto, sensing the bindings around the blade loosening at his command as he drew forth his sword.

The two shared a long look before disappearing in a flicker of Shunpo, reappearing in a clash of metal and the flying of brilliant sparks; they parted only to meet again, dancing across the sand while kicking up a small amount of dust from the swift movement of their feet.

Ichigo met the gaze of his new Taichou unflinchingly, having trained alongside Aizen for many months he had resided himself to the belief that he would never encounter a more powerful, or terrifyingly strong opponent as that man; he hoped to whatever god existed that he never got on his bad side.

As they pranced on light feet around the arena, Kuchiki observed with keen eyes the movements and mechanisms of his opponent; he recognised a fair majority of the steps that the strawberry used, as he had seen Aizen fight on several occasions. There was no doubt about it in his mind, Aizen had been training the youth in the image of himself; Renji had, for once, been correct and Aizen had been laying claim to him.

"Kurosaki, show me your Shikai." He authorised in a calm voice as they met in another flourish of metal.

"I cannot." Ichigo responded, flitting away before turning and blocking another attack, adding a kick to his counter.

"Why not?" Kuchiki demanded, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Spinning and ducking simultaneously as the other attacked him with more feeling, Ichigo maintained a cool exterior, meeting his Zanpakto again and pressing against him, his teeth lightly gritted as he looked him straight in the eye, "Because..." he dodged another blow, "I am already in Shikai."

Kuchiki's eyes widened momentarily at the admission before things started to make sense, "That is the reason for the haste of your progression towards Bankai, your reiatsu is immense, even I have sensed that. Aizen pressed you towards it because the size of reiatsu and it means that you have the potential to reach Bankai faster than other Shinigami."

"Correct," Ichigo flipped back and used a burst of Shunpo to propel himself back towards him, ducking his defence and kneeing him in the midsection, knocking him off balance as his eyes began to glow, his reiatsu rising in a tempestuous flurry as he placed deliberate and debilitating blows on his Taichou, letting him feel the full force of his reiatsu, "It also means, that I am capable of maintaining battles for a longer period of time without tiring as fast despite using powerful attacks."

The nobleman's eyes abruptly went wide as he felt his feet being knocked out from under him and he fell, grabbing a fistful of the orange haired Shinigami's kosode as he did so. He grunted lightly as he hit the sand and winced as he was landed on. His eyes opening after a moment and meeting Ichigo's chestnut ones as he came face to face with him.

"Your technique is certainly impressive, as is your strength and reiatsu." He murmured, "However you have much to learn."

"How so?" he frowned faintly.

"You believe as soon as your enemy falls the battle is over." The raven haired male breathed, "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Ichigo's eyes widened abruptly as he was picked up by a flood of blossom petals and tossed away from his Taichou. He gritted his teeth as he hit the sand and rolled back onto his feet, remaining in a crouched position as he watched the other man also getting to his feet.

"It is hardly fair for you to be in Shikai when I am not, is it?" Kuchiki asked as his sword reformed into its solid form.

"I suppose not." The strawberry responded with a sigh, "That was sneaky."

"It was not, my pride would never permit me to do something 'devious'. You merely did not consider the probability that I would use my Shikai."

"Heh, I guess so..." he ran a hand through his hair before gripping the hilt of his Zanpakto again, "So... You're going to make this harder for me."

"Of course, you won't get anywhere if I go easy on you; considering size of your reiatsu and your strength you shouldn't be coddled." The noble announced, lifting his katana again and watching the blade disintegrate into hundreds of petals again.

"I'm glad we are thinking on the same lines." Ichigo murmured, "I _hate_ being coddled."

There was a moment of dual pause before the petals swept forwards, and Ichigo leapt towards him, sword drawn back and eyes narrowed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the wonderful response there has been for this story, I apologise for not updating for so long but life has been chaotic. Among other responsibilities several family members have had to have medical procedures and it has been stressful, hopefully things will pick up soon and I will be able to begin updating regularly again. Thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter Three:**

He was no fool. He knew he had locked his office door. He also knew that it had been unlocked upon his return. He knew someone had been hiding under his desk. And he knew who it was.

Kurosaki Ichigo. There was more to the man than met the eye. To the eye he was a handsome; attractive and foxy young man, but looking beneath that he was devious, calculative, and manipulative. A mini-Aizen so to speak.

Fighting with Ichigo, under the pretence of helping him achieve Bankai, gave him the perfect opportunity to see just how far Aizen had gone in training him. Every move was perfection; like water flowing and gliding through the air with a deadly force. Beauty and deadliness mixed in a tomb of physique and willpower.

He could see Aizen reflected in the way Ichigo moved across the sand, the way he determined the path of a battle and the way he sought for the fastest but cleverest method to overcome the enemy.

The end of their training session, Byakuya took Ichigo to the private bath house around the back of the training area, one which only he; Renji and the Shinigami who held the position of Division Six's Third Seat were allowed to use.

Unlocking the door and admitting them entrance, Byakuya headed inside the warm room ahead of the strawberry haired enigma behind him; he began to undress, hanging his clothes on the pegs which were on the far side of the room; he slid his sandals under the bench before he fetched a towel from the cupboard and set it down by the side of the natural hot spring which formed the bath.

He released a sigh as he slid into the water, allowing his muscles to relax before he cast his gaze to his new Third Seat. The strawberry was undressing a lot slower than he had, and for a moment Byakuya wondered if it was on purpose; he then shook the thought aside with the decision that it was foolhardy and egotistical.

However, he did permit himself the luxury of glancing over the contours of the other's body as he undressed: the ripple of taught muscles beneath tanned skin and the fine definition of his spine. A frown formed as he saw several bruises on his back, hips, and buttocks but he had little time to investigate further as Ichigo began to turn around to face him.

Byakuya picked up a flannel and the soap and began to wash himself free of the exercise induced sweat; he watched as Ichigo sank into the water and let a moan of bliss pass his lips; the nobleman watched the way his lips parted and his eyes fluttered shut and scolded himself for such distractions.

After washing, the two men sat and relaxed in silence. They were watching each other, not to the point of outright staring, but by means of which they both knew a difficult conversation was coming up.

"I know you broke into my office Kurosaki," he began finally, seeing no outward reaction to his words, "And I know you were hiding under my desk when Renji and I returned."

"Is that so?" Ichigo asked, his expression not even twitching, "Do you have any proof of my supposed actions?"

"I don't think there is any need to insult my deductive abilities, do you? We are both grown men. And we are alone here in the bath house, no one will hear us."

"That sounds more like you are propositioning me than interrogating me." The strawberry smirked slightly.

The noble raised an eyebrow in response, "Do I have need to 'interrogate' you Kurosaki?"

"You tell me, Kuchiki-Taichou. If you knew I was present in your office then why did you not call me out? Why did you allow me to leave?"

"Because Renji still believes in you."

"Renji is a fool."

"I know he is, but he cares."

"And that is why he is a fool." Ichigo said simply, "He cares so much he can't see when a person is beyond saving. He would probably jump off a cliff to save me, with no understanding that I do not want that from him."

"He spoke highly of you; he said you were always cut off but never more so than you are now. Even he couldn't tell me what makes you so immune to feelings." He paused and his eyes narrowed slightly, "I am sure that quality makes you invaluable to Aizen."

"I have many qualities which make me a valuable asset to any Division, Kuchiki-Taichou."

"Not least your ability to fulfil any order without care of the consequences or the feeling of guilt."

"Is there a point to this inane conversation?"

Byakuya paused for a moment, looking Ichigo straight in the eye, "What does Aizen have on you to make you serve him so willingly?"

"I do not serve Aizen-Taichou. I serve the Goeti Thirteen and the Soul King." He replied mechanically.

"I can almost taste that lie."

"You are persistent, I'll give you that."

The strawberry tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment before he looked back down at the man opposite him, "What do you get if I talk to you, hm? Evidence against him? Evidence against me? Satisfaction of your own curiosity?"

"I get the truth, and I get a reason to help you escape him."

Ichigo laughed, "I don't want to escape him! I am happily within his grasp!"

"You would betray your friends for the sake of a man who would crush you if you crossed him?" Byakuya asked.

"Friends? What friends do I have?" Ichigo asked, "I know nothing of the bonds 'friends' share... As you so aptly spotted I feel NOTHING! I don't feel friendship! I don't feel love! I don't feel trust! All I have is loyalty and emptiness!" he exclaimed, "AND I DON'T KNOW WHY!"

The nobleman took a breath and leaned back against the side of the spring as he watched Ichigo. He could hardly believe the man was truly a traitor; he was truly working for Aizen, and Aizen was truly an evil mastermind. Renji had been so convinced of Ichigo's innocence...

"I have to report this." He said quietly.

"I'll kill you before that happens." The other breathed.

"I believe you would," Byakuya closed his eyes, "But you won't."

Ichigo frowned, "Why not?"

"Because if you kill me you won't get whatever information Aizen is after. You will have the corpse of a Taichou on your hands with nowhere to turn. Do you think Aizen would risk everything to assist you in disposing of me?" he opened his eyes again, "You are a bright man Kurosaki, you know it makes sense."

Ichigo ground his teeth and glowered at him, balling a fist under the water before he closed his eyes and completely dissolved his emotions; when he opened his eyes they were returned to their deadened state, "Then we are at an impasse."

"I have a proposition."

"I thought that you might." He sighed.

"Redeem yourself," he lifted a hand as Ichigo went to interrupt, "Give me information that I require to make a solid case against Aizen Sousuke and in exchange I will keep your involvement out of it."

Ichigo folded his arms "No deal."

"What does he have over you?" he asked sharply, "To make you so loyal to him?"

"Nothing really..." he shrugged and looked away.

"Did he believe in you?" he asked, "Did he offer you power? An escape? Power?"

"No..." he sighed, "He gave me a purpose."

Byakuya looked at him for a moment, seeing the truth of it in his eyes, "Are you really that empty?"

"What else do I have?" he scoffed and ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up even more than normal, "All I have... Is my service to Aizen and sex. That is ALL I have!" he said the other's look of confusion, "Oh... Yeah I forgot to mention I let him bang me anyway, place or position he wants."

Wincing at the crude explanation, Byakuya rolled his eyes but rested his forehead in his hand for a moment as he considered what he could say to convince him to turn on his master.

"I don't know why I lost the ability to feel," Ichigo said quite suddenly, "I'm certain something must have happened to make me as twisted as I am, but I can't remember what it was. I wish I could. Don't think for a moment I feel superior without feelings, because I feel empty, all the time. The only thing that makes me feel anything is sex; even then that feeling never lasts... It leaves me feeling even more hollow than I did before."

"Then you need a new purpose Kurosaki," he said in a gentler tone than he would have used on any other person, "Aizen isn't helping you, he is making it worse."

"But I like working for him..." he trailed off and looked down into the water.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he said sternly, moving across the spring towards him, he clasped a fistful of orange hair and forced his head back, "You don't like or dislike anything. You don't feel remember?"

"I..." he faltered slightly as his head was yanked farther back and he let out a hiss, "... What do you want from me?"

"I want you to realise that there is more that you can do than simply follow his lead. You can turn this around. You can do what you want; you can be who you want. All you have to do is believe in yourself." He murmured.

"I don't know how... I thought I did but I lost myself the same time I lost my feelings... I am loyal to him and that won't change... I'm sorry... But it can never change." He breathed.

Byakuya released him and sighed, hanging his head for a moment as he considered his options. He looked back up at Ichigo and saw that his expression was saddened, "Are you sure you don't feel emotion? Because you face says otherwise." He murmured.

"It's a practiced movement. Aizen said that I needed to try and blend in more with people so that I wasn't so obvious." The strawberry responded stiffly.

"I see..."

The nobleman took a seat beside him and considered his options for a moment. Ichigo was in danger while he served Aizen, but if he managed to convince him to turn on the man he would be in even greater danger; at the same time he desperately needed a lead on Aizen's plot before it was too late and Ichigo could provide him with everything he needed to get the man sentenced and executed.

So many variables. It was the thing he disliked the most about his captaincy. Having to make those choices, the choices between being humane and being efficient.

For the greater good he should wring every drop of information out of Ichigo right here and now where he was unprotected, or should he wait and let him open up in his own time?

Bargaining chip... Or bait?

The good of many or the wellbeing of just one man?

"I can't force you to do anything," he said finally, "I can't make you fear me or the outcome of whichever path you take. I can't make you chose between whatever kind of existence you have now and the one you could have if you opened yourself up to some damage. All I can do is tell you, _Ichigo_, that as both your Taichou and your friend... I will be here for you if you need me."

The strawberry looked around at him slowly and for a moment something flickered in his eyes before it faded again, he forced a small smile and nodded, "I will... Keep it in mind."

Half an hour later, Byakuya watched Ichigo disappear into his room, already knowing that before the night was out he would be at Aizen's room telling him every detail of their conversation.

His advice ran both ways. He had to open himself up for some damage in order to get something. He just had to hope that whatever he got in return would be enough to finalise everything. Maybe Ichigo would take his advice; maybe he could pull it around... But while he was so firmly under Aizen's thumb it was unlikely. Something monumental would have to happen in order to get Ichigo to change sides. Something huge, and until it did, Byakuya would prepare just in case. Maybe he could uncover what had stripped Ichigo of his ability to feel; maybe he could help return that to him. It was worth a shot.

_Red mist._

_Red ocean._

_Red hair._

_Glassy eyes._

_Cold skin._

_Broken body._

Ichigo sat bolt upright in bed and held the covers around his waist, his chest heaving as his heart hammered against his chest; he looked around slowly as he felt a warm hand on his back and he blinked to clear his vision.

"A-Aizen-Taichou?" he asked uncertainly.

"Do you not remember anything Ichigo?"

"Not really... Ugh my head is killing me..." he groaned.

"I am certain your head will not be the only thing hurting today." A smirk formed on the brunet's lips as he laid back on the bed and continued stroking the strawberry haired male's back, "You were having a nightmare of some kind."

"That would explain the palpitations and racing heart." The other let out a restless sigh, and rubbed his chest thoughtfully, "How did I... End up in your bed?"

Aizen chuckled and sat up, throwing the younger man back down on the bed before he climbed over him, "My... I don't know whether or not I should be insulted that my performance can be so easily forgotten."

"Huh?"

"You came here last night and told me all about your bath time chat with Kuchiki Byakuya, after which you were in need of some skin to skin comfort..." He tilted his head and brushed his lips down the other's neck, "Kuchiki must have really got under your skin... We went six rounds before you finally passed out. At which point I decided to break my own rules and... Allowed you to sleep it off in my bed."

Ichigo closed his eyes as he felt his lips on his neck and jolted upwards towards him as he was bitten suddenly, he let out a groan and opened his eyes again, "Thank you."

"You are welcome." The brunet murmured without looking up.

"I should return to Division Six before I am missed." He added.

"Indeed," Aizen said against the skin of his chest, "If Kuchiki corners you again in such a way come to me as soon as you can and report the conversation. You are doing well; even if he now knows your intention and purpose inside his Division he is powerless to do anything without proof. I am proud of your work so far Ichigo, keep it up."

"Yes, sir." He breathed as he watched him climb out of the bed and disappear into the bathroom.

He flopped back against the pillows for a moment before he too dragged himself out of bed, shaking off the sharp pain which shot down his legs and up his back; he dressed quickly and left Aizen's room. He was lucky, it was still the early hours of the morning so very few people were around to see him sneak out of the Division and back into Division Six.

When he reached his room, Ichigo slipped inside and locked the door behind him, resting against it and tipping his head back, staring at the ceiling as he replayed everything in his mind.

Byakuya knew the truth but he had still tried to help him.

He had given him a way out, regardless of the risk to himself.

A sudden flood of ice sank into Ichigo's stomach as a thought struck him, and it was this: _'That... That STUPID bastard! He... He KNEW! He KNEW I would tell Aizen! He knew it and he still did it! He's put himself in harm's way... ON PURPOSE!'_

Ichigo pushed away from the door and stripped as he strode into the bathroom, he climbed under the hot spray of the water and slammed a fist against the tiled wall. What was the nobleman playing at? Leaving himself open to such an attack...

'_Leaving himself open? Isn't that... What he told me I had to do if I wanted to change? Is he... Showing me how? Or being an arrogant pig and showing me that he can do it... Or am I reading too far into it?'_

He shook his head and began washing; he was too tired and too sore to think about it. He needed more sleep. And he didn't need another nightmare... He couldn't even remember what it had been about now.

Ichigo crawled into his bed, grateful that he had an afternoon shift so he could catch up on some much missed sleep. He curled up under the warm covers and closed his eyes.

A minute ticked passed before he opened them again slowly and saw a photo on his bedside table. That hadn't been there when he had first checked his room out.

He sat up and picked the photograph up; swallowing the lump which had formed in his throat at the sight of it. It was a photo with Renji; Rukia; Kira and Hinamori all squished together on the day of their graduation from Shino. Everyone looked so happy, except for him. He was wearing the same scowl he displayed every day, and there was the same dead look in his eyes.

Did he really look that dead every day?

A shudder ran through him and he turned the frame over, finding a sticky note on the other side; it read:

_Even when you feel like you are, you will never be alone. And when you are ready, they will be there for you. Friends always are._

It was his new Taichou's writing.

Ichigo looked at the photo again and swallowed a final time, setting it back on the side and laying down again. He curled up with his back to the photo and closed his eyes.

So much to consider. So many angles to see things from. He was going to get a headache.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again for a wonderful response, things are going to be hotting up from here, and it shouldn't be too much longer before there is finally some Byakuya/Ichigo action! So please just sit tight for a little longer and watch the awkward love unfold!**

**Minor Warning:**** Mentions/insinuation of Grimmjow/Ichigo in this chapter (nothing explicitly written just suggestions)**

**Ah yes, before I let you go, Grimmjow is appearing in this chapter, and it won't be how you expect! But never fear, everything shall be explained in the coming chapters!**

**Enjoy :)**

**Chapter Four:**

Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he had gone six weeks without sex, it was most likely before he had joined Shino anyway, and yet here he was, despite the psychological pain it was causing him, he was six and a half weeks into not having had sex with anyone.

He had been avoiding Aizen since he had woken up in bed with him with so very little recollection as to how he had gotten there, and he had been avoiding Kuchiki since their conversation in the bathhouse.

He was walking a treacherous line between feeling remotely proud that he had accomplished such a feat, and feeling mental agony at not having been touched for so long. In fact, it was only now that he could see just how much his need for physical pleasure had taken over his life. He could feel when he had sex, to some extent at least, but without it he was empty... He was 'hollow'... And it was driving him mad.

He also realised during his six week stint of celibacy, that he had become quite addicted to the pleasures of the flesh. His stamina in bed had been almost unmatchable, his lust for it was constant and his thoughts manipulated by the need.

He needed help. Or he needed to get laid so he could stop thinking so much. But he was avoiding Aizen. For reasons he didn't fully understand himself, that night had scared him, it had triggered genuine fear in his heart and he had no desire to feel that particular emotion that strongly again. But, while avoiding Aizen... He had no other sexual partner he could go to.

While it was not a relationship, as a rule, as Aizen's rule, he wasn't allowed to indulge with anyone else unless it was to get information or if it was a direct order from Aizen himself.

Which, currently, left Ichigo a little stuck. He was loyal. He never went against Aizen's rules... But he was also suffering. Chronically.

What to do... What should he do? He couldn't continue as he was, it would begin to affect his work. But what would Aizen do if he found out?

A thought occurred to him as he laid back in the bath. There was one friend he could turn to... A rather attractive and feral friend. And feral was just what he needed.

He finished his bath at top speed, pulling the plug before he started drying himself off hastily. Ichigo, in haste, cut his cheek while shaving and swore repeated as he was forced to stick a blob of tissue over the scarlet glob threatening to roll down his face.

He yanked on his clothes and grabbed his Zanpakto before he dashed from his room without even locking it as he leapt into a flash-step and headed for Division Three. He would have to avoid Gin, although he had a sneaky suspicion that the fox would take pity on him in his condition and keep his presence to himself regardless.

He reached the Division and vaulted the locked gates, evading the guards as he crept through the shadows and kept his reiatsu low. He breathed a sigh of relief as he came to a stop outside of the sixth seats room and knocked on the door. He had to restrain himself from hopping from one foot to another as he waited for someone to answer.

He winced as the door swung open and he was momentarily blinded by the light from inside, "Yo, Kurosaki, to what do I owe this humble visit?"

"Don't speak so loud. I don't wanna get caught here." He hissed.

"Aww, you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"Grimmjow..." he growled and gave the blue haired man a look to kill.

"Alright, alright, come in. Keep your hair on." He sighed.

Ichigo let out a breath of relief and scuttled passed him into the room, glancing around at the slightly plain interior. He sighed and sat down on the bed, watching as his friend shut the door and moved to stand a short distance away.

"So, what do you want?" Grimmjow asked curiously as he crossed his arms.

"Well..." he paused and looked him over, "Putting it plainly... Do you remember when we were in the Academy? You were two years ahead of me."

"Course I remember. Don't tell me you came here to reminisce about the old days..." he frowned.

Ichigo chuckled and stood, walking towards him slowly, "Not exactly. Do you remember what an angry young man you were back then? So frustrated in every way..." he murmured as he ran his fingers along the collar of the other's kosode, "And... Do you remember how I used to let you take your frustrations out on me... In the bedroom?"

Grimmjow cleared his throat, "Course I remember... What's your point Kuro-" he was cut off by a demanded kiss from Ichigo, and he finally got the idea.

Tangling his arms around the orange haired male, Grimmjow lifted him off the floor and threw him down on the bed and climbed over him in an instant.

It was surprising. The damage one even could cause. The scar it could leave behind. The overwhelming harm it could do to the soul.

Byakuya didn't like the feeling of pity that had welled in his chest as he looked through the records in the Library. Since his conversation with Ichigo, he had been searching for the reason that the young man had become so emotionless. It was clear that Ichigo's mind had shut the memory of the event which had caused it and at the same time had made him devoid of emotions, because emotions were dangerous. If he remembered the emotion he might remember the event. And it was clear his soul couldn't cope with it. Not without help.

He had every confidence that Kurosaki Ichigo was actually a good man, but Aizen was manipulating him and taking advantage of his damaged mind and soul. Tainting someone who was good with all the toxicity the brunet was drowning in.

His pride would not allow him to succeed in spoiling Ichigo; he would intervene and save the young man. And he now knew how to do so. The Library was a colossal mound of information, it naturally made sense that the even precluding Ichigo's shut down would have been recorded. And he had been correct. In his hands he held a printed copy of the report of what had happened; although Ichigo wasn't mentioned by name there were only so many orange haired kids who were emotionally damaged and suffering acute memory loss. It had to be him.

"I wondered if you would take an interest in his past."

Byakuya turned around slowly, setting his narrowed eyes on the object of his ire, "Aizen-Taichou."

"So polite. Even now when everything is unravelling before your very eyes." He smirked.

"I am sure I don't know what you mean." The nobleman said calmly, standing his ground as the brunet approached and came to a stop just inches from him.

"Oh I am sure you do though. You did a suitable job of getting Ichigo to talk, better than I had imagined in fact."

"Excuse me?" Byakuya hissed, "You expected this?"

"Naturally, I planned it so it would be so. You see... Ichigo is a valuable and talented soul because of the way he is. As an emotionless wreckage of a Shinigami he is both the perfect assassin and a most excellent source of willing pleasure. However, I require more of him than that." Aizen murmured, "And you can assist me in getting it."

"You cannot expect me to believe that you not only planned this entire event, but also intend to have me assist you?"

"Oh but I did plan it all out, from beginning to end," he clapped his hands together, "You'll assist me no matter what path you take now. In some way Ichigo has allowed himself to trust you by sharing all that information with you, so if you report him you will have betrayed him and it will drive him to the brink of hatred; forcing him to believe that there is no one who he can turn to except me. Yet if you keep it to yourself you will become a conspirator and he may well turn away from you for that very reason, driving him further into my grasp. And if you reveal to him the event which caused his emotions to flee you will either break his mind and drive him to insanity or you will shatter him and be forced to pick up the pieces. Even then, if you do not pick them up correctly he will come to hate you and all others like you. It is that hate I need, the hate is what I want. Only when he comes to hate you all will he become truly powerful."

Byakuya trembled slightly before he raised a hand and struck his fellow captain across the face, "You monster. You heartless, despicable fiend. You are unbefitting the role of a Taichou of the Goeti 13 and I will do everything in my power to expose you AND save Ichigo!"

"So determined. It will be the end of you Byakuya..." the brunet replied, reaching out and ghosting his fingers across the other's lips, "You could convert... Come over to my side of things, and then you can give Ichigo all the support you desire."

"Never." He spat and batted his hand aside, "I will tear your world apart if you hurt him Aizen."

"Ah... That is sweet. You clearly care about him... I'm pleased, that will make what comes next so much easier."

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The nobleman's steel grey eyes were mere slits as the pink blossom petals swirled forwards, only to be met by thin air. Aizen had fled, deciding instead to leave him with those haunting words. As Byakuya sheathed his Zanpakto away again he vowed he would do whatever it took to keep Ichigo from that _creature's_ grasp. The battle had only just begun! And he was not accustom to losing!

Ichigo groaned as he stirred and rubbed his eyes, glancing around at the blue haired male beside him, Grimmjow was still flat out unconscious; recovering no doubt from an extensive night of exercise. It had been in the early hours when they had finally finished their bout of passion and it had left Ichigo in deeper turmoil than before! Despite believing that having sex would alleviate his mental frustrations it had instead merely increased them!

And for some reason he felt a welling guiltiness in his gut, churning and twinning in his intestines. He felt shame. Shame was not something he was used to. He had no sense of shame, he was shameless... This allowed him to be bold and forceful in the bedroom... But he felt shy, he felt timid and he felt dirty.

So many things were uncertain. He didn't know what to do...

Why was he so confused? Why was he aching internally? His heart was thumping in a randomised pattern and it hurt. But why? He couldn't comprehend it.

The urge to run away surged through him and he followed it. Tearing on his clothes and ran from Grimmjow's room, no longer caring if he was seen or caught. He needed to run. Needed to escape.

He had no idea where he was going, his legs carried him and his eyes were blurred by unshed tears. He was crying, he never cried, crying was weakness, crying was blackmail, crying was... Wrong.

Why was this happening?

He collapsed on his hands and knees and threw up in the grass, trembling all over as he let out a dry sob; tears breaking free as they rolled down his cheeks. He reached up and grabbed two handfuls of his hair, almost willing himself to rip it out by the roots. He threw his head back and let out a wail, hoping it would somehow lessen the tightness in his chest.

Finally calming enough to gauge where he was, he was stunned to discover himself in the entrance to the graveyard on the outskirts of Rukongai. He didn't realise he had run that far...

It was so quiet and peaceful... Maybe if he lingered for a while he could find some internal harmony. A balm for his internal chaos. A salve for his confusion.

So, in silence, the young Shinigami began to walk among the headstones, not really reading them, but glancing over at the names and dates. Before long he felt his soul regain its lost melody of apathy and he let out a sigh of relief. All those emotions! Did people really deal with them on a daily basis? Ten minutes of them and he was ready to go insane! He was better off as he was! Screw what was right and wrong, he wanted inner peace!

Ichigo paused suddenly at one of the rows of headstones and he blinked. He was certain that his surname wasn't overly popular, and considering this fact he had to ask himself the question.

Who were the four Kurosaki's depicted on the headstones in front of him?

_Kurosaki Isshin, beloved father._

_Kurosaki Masaki, beloved mother._

_Kurosaki Karin, beloved sister._

_Kurosaki Yuzu, beloved sister._

_Taken from this world before their time, may their souls find peace in the beyond. Forever in our hearts and minds._

Ichigo stared for a long moment before a flash of red crossed his mind.

'_Blood spatter. A room soaked in blood. A floor drowning in blood. A small boy sat amongst corpses. A small boy dripping in blood. With orange hair and chestnut brown eyes; painted scarlet by the monster that had ripped through their home. He alone had been left untouched, for reasons unknown even to the Division Two members who had arrived to assess the scene of the brutal crime._

_The child spoke not a word to any of them. He made no movement nor sound, and looked no one in the eye. His expression was hollow. His eyes were dead. A boy drenched in blood, scarred beyond repair.'_

Byakuya folded the paper up and put it in his pocket as he left the Library, his heart was heavy with concern and his eyes weary with lack of sleep. It would be wise for sleep well before addressing the situation with Ichigo, he would need to remain calm and objective.

Sleep would have to wait, because when Byakuya sensed a vast and violent explosion of Kurosaki Ichigo's reiatsu his first reaction was to flash-step straight to his side.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you as always for the fantastic response to this story, it means a great deal. I hope you continue to enjoy and I hope that this chapter excites you... Prepare for some revelations!**

**Chapter Five:**

Aizen looked up from his notes slowly as he sensed a mass outburst of Ichigo's reiatsu and he raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow in response to it; it had finally happened, the darkness had risen within the young man's energy. It was a darkness he was well acquainted with, and he had been waiting _forever_ for it to flare within his greatest experiment to date. This was going to be a very exciting time.

Standing up slowly, the brunet slipped on his haori and picked up his zanpakto from its place by the wall before he set off at a brisk flash-step to locate his precious tool and see what was wrong, and what had forced him to emit such dark tendrils of power.

He located him quickly, and it openly confused him that Ichigo would be in the cemetery, he had never known him to step foot there and of course he had discreetly prevented him from taking any missions that might have led him near to it, if by some chance he made the connection between the residents of that graveyard then it was possible everything would unravel... And from the distress in his reiatsu it appeared that was the case.

Aizen came to a sudden and abrupt halt as he sensed the compulsive and proud reiatsu of Kuchiki Byakuya approaching at high speed. A smirk toyed at his lips; the nobleman must indeed be interested in Ichigo's welfare to move so fast at the first sense of distress in the younger man's reiatsu. How _delightful_.

He allowed himself to be engulfed in the illusionistic powers of his sword and watched the exchange that was about to occur. From what he could already see, Ichigo was indeed at the graves of the other Kurosaki's, there was recognition in his trembling form, as well as doubt and perplexity. It was no more or less than he had expected. But that darkness, it intrigued him.

Byakuya vaulted the cemetery fence without a second thought and skidded to a halt as he saw tendrils of black and red reiatsu flaring from the strawberry haired Shinigami; he could smell the power rolling in waves from the younger man and it well exceeded his own. It was terrifyingly beautiful, like the blackened wings of an angel fluttering and swaying under the subconscious commands of their master. Ichigo looked like Power incarnate.

"Kurosaki." Byakuya called as he walked forwards slowly, trying to see what Ichigo was seeing, "What are you doing here?"

No answer. He strode closer, using his own reiatsu as a buffering pad against the sharp and jagged vines sparking from Ichigo's skin; he reached out and rested his hand on the young man's shoulder, but yanked his hand away and hissed in discomfort as the reiatsu burned his skin and caused it to smoulder. He had never known reiatsu form in such density that it could physically cause harm, a captain's reiatsu could cause disturbances to the natural flow of a person's mental functions, leading to delusions and hallucinations, panic and unconsciousness... But _nothing_ that hurt people physically. What _was_ this boy?!

"Ichigo, snap out of it!" he exclaimed, reaching forward again, but this time wrapping his own reiatsu around his hand to protect it from the onslaught. He grasped the young man's shoulder and yanked him around to face him, he gasped out and took a step back as he looked at the other's eyes.

He had come to enjoy looking into Ichigo's eyes, molten chestnut which leered into his soul and threatened his well tempered personality, passion flowed and lived within those eyes, the windows to Ichigo's soul. Not anymore...

Black sclera acted as the canvas for vibrant displays of gold irises, a manic; contortion on the young man's face made him seem delirious or maddened, but the white foam which was oozing like tar from his eye sockets; nose and mouth heightened the sense of danger.

Hollow!

Byakuya took another step back and his hand moved to his zanpakto, if he had to he would cut down his own subordinate, rather than have him turn into the very beasts they were charged with killing. He didn't anticipate a reaction to such a basic instinct, but without warning and with a speed he couldn't follow the huge blade of Ichigo's zanpakto was tearing into his chest, gouging through his flesh and razing his rib cage.

A howl escaped the Taichou of Division Six as his blood sprayed into the air around them and he collapsed upon the ground, his eyes half misting over from the intense pain. No one had ever faced him with such raw instinct, the instinct of a well trained killing machine; a Shinigami with the strength of a Hollow but the intelligence of a member of the Goeti 13.

The Kuchiki heir threw himself out of the way of Ichigo's next attack and he realised that the young man could no longer see who he was, he was blind to his bonds. His eyes widened as Aizen's words echoed in his mind like wildfire, '_he will come to hate you and all others like you. It is that hate I need, the hate is what I want. Only when he comes to hate you all will he become truly powerful.'_

'_Damnit,'_ Byakuya thought venomously, _'Ichigo might not know what he is doing but if he kills me... Or any of his friends the guilt which will consume him will be exactly what Aizen needs... And he is halfway there already!'_ Making a split second decision, not something he was accustom to, Byakuya drew his sword and stumbled to his feet before he dropped the blade, "Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

As pink blossoms flooded the cemetery Byakuya leaned against the fence, resting hand on his chest wound and controlling the petals with his mind and watched as Ichigo, even in his rampancy, was able to tackle some of the attacks. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw intelligence in Ichigo's hollowfied eyes and he clenched his teeth as the young man slowly made his way closer and closer to him.

He wasn't relenting like he should have, the cuts and slices Senbonzakura was inflicting wasn't registering. In fact... They seemed to be healing almost instantaneously... Of course, instant regeneration, another Hollow ability.

"Have you fallen so far Ichigo?" he hissed as he pushed himself up off the fence and watched the man getting closer and closer, almost unhindered by the mass of petals, "Then I suppose I have no choice but to-"

He broke off suddenly and stared at him as the foam began to curve and curl into a mask over the strawberry's face and he frowned slowly, _'The mask is forming first? He has no Hollow hole and his reiatsu isn't completely Hollowfied either... Kurosaki Ichigo, just what are you?'_

Steel grey eyes widened abruptly as Ichigo appeared from the mesh of petals with his sword raised high above his head, arching it down towards him with the intent to kill. Byakuya swept his hand around and blocked his blade with a thick ribbon of petals, before he then flash-stepped and pressed his fingertips into Ichigo's shoulder, "Hadou 4: Byakurai."

He watched as Ichigo was blown forwards by the force of the kidou, a hole remaining in his shoulder from the energy which had been blasted through his body; "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring! Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm! The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadou 63: Raikoho."

He shielded his eyes as the cemetery was suddenly illuminated with yellow electricity and looked around for Ichigo; faltering as he couldn't find the orange haired youth.

The nobleman's expression fell abruptly and realisation crossed his features before he slowly, oh so slowly, turned around; coming face to face with the fully formed Hollow mask which now concealed Ichigo's face, and the foam which was continuing to ripple down his body to entomb him in a Hollowfied form.

The mouthpiece of the Hollow mask cracked and moved and though no sound was emitted it looked like Ichigo was trying to speak; the strawberry's whole body stiffened before the white foam began to solidify too fast and then began to spike outwards like a Blow fish. A Hollow roar escaped Ichigo before his sword hand slammed upwards without warning, the hilt of the giant sword hitting him squarely between the eyebrows.

Byakuya's mouth fell open in surprise and he stood a step back as he watched the foam beginning to crack up and down the suit which had been created. He cautiously ended his Bankai and sheathed his sword away, he licked his lips which had gone dry and reached out with a steady hand, he curled his fingers under the groove of the chin section of the mask and swallowed hard before he ripped it off and watched the foam as it disintegrated completely.

Ichigo's eyes were blank and his expression distant, his legs wobbled and gave out; Byakuya caught him as he headed for the floor and briefly checked him over for injuries. When he found only a few grazes he relaxed slightly, his eyes finally falling on what had lead to the outburst of darkened reiatsu.

A curse left his lips as he glanced over the gravestones and he closed his eyes for a moment, looking down at the almost unconscious Shinigami in his arms. He had calmed down, his reiatsu returning to normal; a quick peek under his eyelids revealed that all traces of the black and gold combination had faded. At least for the time being.

"Kurosaki Ichigo... Just what are you?" he breathed as pain blossomed through his body, "To cut me so easily... To release such power... Is this what Aizen meant when he said: 'Ichigo is a valuable and talented soul because of the way he is.'" The stoic noble silenced himself and tensed as he sensed someone new in the cemetery and he looked around, his eyes widening slightly at the sight which greeted him.

"Kuchiki Byakuya! Long time no see!"

"Don't tease him too much; those scary cold eyes of his scare me."

"What are you doing here?" Byakuya growled as he staggered to his feet, leaving Ichigo on the ground behind him, "Shihouen Yoruichi, and Urahara Kisuke?"

Yoruichi smirked and tossed her long hair over her shoulder, "Well that is a lovely way to greet your old Sensei, Little Byakuya! You haven't changed at all, still as moody as ever!"

"DON'T call me that ridiculous nickname!" he snapped, "You are _both_ wanted fugitives, you should not have come back."

Urahara walked forwards slowly, his clogs clattering against the cobbles, "I would have thought it was obvious, Kuchiki-san. We're here to investigate Kurosaki Ichigo. I am sure you remember that both Yoruichi-san and I were in charge of the investigation concerning the slaughter of his family."

His eyes narrowed and he watched the blond haired man crouch down and check the unconscious Shinigami's status, "I have the report in my pocket, how could I forget? That doesn't explain your presence however, you've had years to investigate Kurosaki, yet you choose now. Only moments after he went-" he broke off suddenly and he sighed, "Of course... You know something don't you?"

Urahara glanced up at him from under the rim of his hat, "I do." He replied, "And considering the reason for our warrant cards you should realise what I know is of importance."

"Your crimes were the illegal and unprofitable experimentation of Hollowfication upon Shinigami subjects. Leading to and directly causing the deaths of hundreds of innocent Shinigami, for the sake of breaking down the barrier between the powers of a Shinigami and those of a Hollow." He recited from memory, "You both pleaded not guilty despite the towering amount of evidence, and somehow escaped custody before you were executed for said crimes."

"That is because we are innocent and someone else was to blame, we were set up and framed. Perfectly done I might add." Yoruichi sniffed as she strutted towards the two men and leaned against the fence.

"And who might that have-" he swore suddenly, "Of course... How could I have been so _blind_?! Aizen _fucking_ Sousuke!"

"Oh my, Little Byakuya swore!"

"Indeed," Urahara nodded, "He is accountable for many sins against the Soul King."

Byakuya chose to ignore the comments of his former Sensei and crouched beside the blond genius, "Are you implying Aizen was responsible for the annihilation of the Kurosaki family, and whatever is wrong with Ichigo?"

"I am saying more than that, Kuchiki-san," he met his gaze, "I am not _implying _anything. I am _telling you_ that he was responsible. Not only for the deaths of the Kurosaki family and Ichigo's condition, but for the disappearances of the Shinigami, the experimentation and the unscrupulous murder of Kuchiki Sojun."

His eyes flew wide at the mention of his own father's death and he looked down at Ichigo, "My... My Father was killed on a mission to the World of the Living, Aizen had nothing to do with that." He murmured.

"You never saw Sojun's body, Byakuya, it was reported that he was killed when his team were attacked by Hollows. But the wounds that his body sustained were not those of Hollow talons or teeth... They were sword wounds. And that same day, Aizen was nowhere to be found." Urahara's eyes darkened, "And when he reappeared the next day he refused to account for his whereabouts, I questioned him myself, and he had a Kensaikan in his pocket. It belonged to Sojun."

The noble closed his eyes and swallowed, "This... This isn't the time to discuss the past." He said shortly, "My only concern currently is Ichigo."

"Very well. I need to get him to a laboratory where I can tend to him properly, and where we can patch you up without attracting attention. After all, as you so aptly pointed out... Yoruichi-san and I are fugitives and if we are captured we will be killed on sight." The blond glanced around furtively before he scooped the orange haired male up with ease and looked at Yoruichi, "Please lead the way Yoruichi-san."

"Alright, alright; remember to grab my clothes." The purple haired woman sighed and flipped her hair once more before she began to transform and shrink into her slinky black cat form.

She hopped out of the crumpled clothes on the floor and flicked her tail at the two men, "Come on then." She smirked slightly and dashed off through the headstones.

"I do hope she isn't trying to start a game of tag... I hate that game." Byakuya said through gritted teeth."

"I am afraid it is necessary today, Kuchiki-san, for only Yoruichi-san can lead us to the laboratory we need. It is a secret place where I stored my most important work in case Aizen ever moved against me; it is accessible only by her seeking it by sense of smell, which of course as a cat only she can do. Be patient just a while longer and let us follow her in haste."

The noble sighed slightly before he nodded and rested a hand on his chest, wincing before he flash-stepped with the man and followed his former Sensei. He glanced back at the cemetery fleetingly, his eyes darkening with concern at the events rapidly unfurling around them; he sighed and looked forwards again, keeping pace with Urahara and an eye on Ichigo.

With a raised eyebrow and a not too pleased expression, Aizen allowed the illusion hiding him to ripple and fall away; he emerged from the shows of the trees and folded his arms as he watched the retreating figure.

"So nice of you to return Urahara Kisuke, Shihouen Yoruichi... And so nice of you to divulge so many of your ideas to one as impressionable as Kuchiki Byakuya," he ground his teeth and closed his eyes as his reiatsu fluctuated, "This just got more difficult."

"Aw Aizen-Taichou... Ya know ya love a challenge..." Gin drawled as he approached with his hands hidden in the opposite sleeve.

"How long have you been hiding there?" the brunet questioned, his eyes narrowing as he opened them again.

"Since I sensed Ichi~berry's reiatsu change of course!" his never ending smile merely widened, "Ya didn't tell me ya had experimented on 'im?"

"I do not tell you everything Gin, as you do not tell _me_ everything," he hissed, "He was never the target of that experiment but his existence is now pivotal to my plans."

"Whatcha mean Taichou?" the fox tilted his head to the side in confusion.

Aizen let out a long breath and slowly turned to face his subordinate, "I aimed the Hogyuku at Kurosaki Masaki and Kurosaki Isshin, their powers were beyond normal and I wanted them..." he looked at the gravestones, "But I had not anticipated that their son would jump in the way at the last moment to save them."

Gin's eyes snapped open in shock and he stared at his Taichou, "No way..."

"Indeed," he smirked slightly, "But their son I soon discovered, was far more valuable than the parents. The sole heir to their power, and with the additional input from the Hogyuku... He went rampant in the house, just as you witnessed here, only his opponents were soft and whimsical because of their love for their son... He slaughtered them with his bare hands in his rampancy, his mother; his father and his two younger sisters."

The silver haired male swallowed hard, "'E doesn't remember does 'e?"

Aizen chuckled, "No. His amnesia is self administered, the only way a small boy could cope with the darkness he had wrought was to forget what had happened entirely. His brain took the event and buried it deep within, so that he might never uncover it," he paused, "But now he is on the road to recovery, it has taken years, but finally his memory loss is beginning to fade because of this. I had no idea that his transferral would reap such fabulous rewards..."

"But if 'e is as much of a demon as ya describe... How will ya control 'im?" Gin asked with a very slight frown.

"He belongs to me Gin," the brunet stated, "I created him, I gave him his power, I have him everything he has... He will come to me. Pets always do."

"Seems a tad risky ta me..."

"Let's go, Gin, I don't think it will be too much longer before he is fully awakened."

The silver haired fox glanced back at the direction Byakuya and Urahara had taken Ichigo and scratched his head before he closed his eyes again and replaced his frown with his classical grin, turning and following his Taichou back towards Seireitei obediently.

'_Don't underestimate 'im Taichou... It'll be the last thing ya ever do otherwise...'_


	6. Chapter 6

**As always a huge thank you to everyone who reads, favourites and reviews on this story, your comments are fantastic and I am pleased that you are all still enjoying the story, and as such... A super speedy update!**

**Chapter Six:**

Ichigo winced as he woke, his head was killing him and his chest felt like it had been kicked by a Hollow; the Shinigami opened his eyes slowly and looked around, finding himself alone in a whitewashed room. The smell of strong disinfectant and chemicals burned his nose and made him cringe in distaste before he was drawn by the image of himself reflected in the mirror across the room.

His face was gaunt, haunted almost; dark rings circled his eyes and his eyes were shadowed with regret and with fear. His skin was paler than usual, ashen slightly with no hint of the proud blush which sometimes graced his high cheekbones. He looked a shadow of himself, he looked like the measly runt he had been while living on the streets.

"What in the world happened to me?" he whispered his voice raw and raspy from disuse and thirst.

Hesitantly getting off the bed, Ichigo grabbed a white yukata from the cabinet beside him and dressed himself, for once shy of himself and his body. Still unsure of where he was or if he was completely alone, the strawberry haired male went in search of Zangetsu, but became concerned when he couldn't locate him anywhere. Even when he tried to commune with him via his inner world, there was no sign or word from the grim Zanpakto. However, the state o his inner world was something to behold! The proud city buildings which had formerly stood to attention in hues of blue and black were crumbled and decimated; as though a great battle had taken place. This made no sense, considering, after a battle with Zangetsu the buildings usually repaired themselves.

He sighed in confusion and left the white room, walking tentatively down a corridor; he could hear voices up ahead as well as the smell f food and coffee, and his footsteps grew faster in response.

Pushing open the door that was between him and some heavenly smelling food, Ichigo saw three things at the same time, the first thing he saw was a table with food and drink on it which made his mouth water. The second thing he saw was that his sword was being suspended above the table cocooned in a blue crystal cage. And the third thing that he saw was Kuchiki Byakuya led on the floor being force fed by a buxom darkly skinned woman who had dark purple hair, as well as a blond man who was laughing his head off at the scarlet faced nobleman.

Blinking at the scene, Ichigo closed the door again and wondered if he really was awake or if he was actually still asleep, but as the door opened to reveal the blond man he guessed he was awake.

"Oh good, Sleeping Beauty has awoken!" the blond grinned teasingly and Ichigo took an instant liking to him, "Come in, you must be hungry!"

He wasn't given the chance to argue as he was steered into the room and pushed down into a blue leather bean bag, "Uh..." he began before he went red as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Eat first, question and answer time after." The blond said and handed him a plate and a mug of steaming coffee.

Obliging most willingly, Ichigo ate until he was more than a little stuffed, he could feel the colour returning to his face and his energy revitalising, for which he was more than grateful.

Setting his chopsticks down, he wiped his mouth and took a deep draught of coffee; Ichigo cleared his throat and drew the attention of the other occupants of the room, "Um... So... Where am I?

"An underground facility designed for research and experimentation." The blond answered.

"And... Why am I here?"

"Because you began to transform into a Hollow in the cemetery and very nearly killed out dear Kuchiki-san." He nodded to the noble who was still being offered bits of food by the woman.

"I... Wait what?!" he exclaimed as he stared at him, "A Hollow?! That is crazy! Who the hell are you?!"

He sighed, "My name is Urahara Kisuke, and my friend here is Yoruichi Shihouin, we were both formerly Taichou of the Gotei 13," he explained, "It appears that at some point you have been exposed to a suspect artefact of considerable power which has slightly altered your reiatsu chamber. Subsequently, when you began to feel great emotional stress in the cemetery, that alteration began to take action and change you into a Hollow."

Ichigo stared at him and shook his head slowly, "A subject artefact?! Exposed?! What are you on about?!" he cried in distress.

Byakuya pushed Yoruichi back as he watched Ichigo's eyes swim with genuine tears, "Urahara... Yoruichi... Leave us for a few moments. I will explain this to Ichigo myself." He murmured, resting a hand over his chest which had been heavily bandaged to help heal the wound he had sustained while fighting Ichigo.

The blond man and the purple haired woman exchanged glances before they complied and retreated from the room to give the two men some space.

Ichigo looked down as the room went quiet and scowled at the remnants of his coffee, he flinched as he felt an arm slip around his shoulders and glared at his Taichou, "What are you doing?"

"Providing you with some comfort." He stated in response.

"Are you going to shag me here or in that room then?" he frowned.

"What?" Byakuya stared and raised an eyebrow at him.

The strawberry sighed at the man's obvious stupidity, "You said you were going to provide me with comfort... So you are going to shag me right?"

"Uh... No." The noble replied, "Comfort doesn't have to be sex or words... It can be the gentlest of touches, or just having someone beside you when you need them... Are you really that inexperienced with the caring of others?"

A fresh scowl appeared on his face, along with a blush of embarrassment, "I... If you're going to take the piss out of me just call those two back in here." He muttered.

Byakuya rolled his eyes and took his arm back, "Uh you are hard work..."

They sat in silence for a moment before the nobleman glanced at the strawberry and decided to broach the subject, "One hundred years ago Urahara created an object of great power which he named the Hogyuku. It has the power to do whatever the holder desires the most. Becoming afraid of the capabilities of his invention Urahara sought to conceal and hide the Hogyuku, but it was stolen before he had a chance to do so."

"What has this got to do with me?"

"Everything," he replied quietly, he reached out and pressed the palm of his hand into Ichigo's chest, "From the tests Urahara ran on you while you were unconscious, to determine the reason for your sudden change, it became clear to him that at some point you had been exposed to the will of someone wielding the Hogyuku... And the will of the person wielding it was to break down the barriers between Shinigami and Hollow power, to learn how to create the ultimate being, a godly figure... Greater and more terrible than the Soul King: a physical and present being who could rule with an iron fist."

Ichigo looked at him slowly, "Who would want that?"

"I think... You know that answer..." he said quietly.

The strawberry looked down and took a breath, sighing heavily before he ran his hands through his hair, "Aizen-Taichou."

Byakuya sat back and interlocked his fingers as he watched the younger man's reaction, "Urahara believes so. Urahara believes that Aizen is responsible for a lot of things... Such as the reason for the loss of your memories."

Ichigo downed the last dregs of his coffee in one mouthful and half slammed the mug on the table, his eyes closed as he considered and contemplated the information pouring into his brain. He let out a shaky breath, "The death of my family. I remember."

His eyes widened slightly before he raised an eyebrow, "We believed that after your partial transformation you would forget again..."

"No," he murmured, "Believe me I wish I couldn't remember... There was so much blood everywhere... So much death and horror... I can't remember the moments leading up to their deaths but I do remember what happened after. I was sat there... Staring when several Division Two members arrived and took me away..."

"I... Have the report from the Library if you desire to read it?"

"Yes... But not right now."

"Very well." Byakuya murmured before he reached out again and rested a hand on Ichigo's back.

The raven haired male looked at him after another long moment, "What will you do?"

"What I have always done. Ask him."

"W-What?"

He looked at the nobleman, "I can't lie to him, he can see through it easily. So I will tell him the truth. I will tell him I suspect him of having something to do with my family's death."

"Ichigo... Are you out of your mind?!"

With a sigh, the strawberry looked at him, "According to you I started turning into a Hollow, and yet I am still breathing and I am still alive. Are you out of your mind for letting me live?"

"That is totally different!"

"No it isn't. Speaking of which... With what you told me about the Hogyuku's power I suppose I am to assume that Aizen used it on me in order to lower the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow power?"

"That is what we have assumed yes."

"I see... So why hasn't he told me? Why has it taken so long to show itself?" he asked with a frown.

"I... I don't know... Urahara could probably answer that second question but as for the first... Probably only Aizen knows that." He smiled weakly.

"Alright... I'll ask Urahara then." He sighed and looked at the bandages that were on the other's chest, "Did I do that?"

"Yes. You were incredibly strong."

"I..." he paused and met the man's steel grey eyes, gulping slightly, "I'm sorry for hurting you."

Taken aback momentarily, Byakuya released a small smile, "Don't worry about it. My injury will heal."

Urahara and Yoruichi returned a short while later when it became apparent that Ichigo and Byakuya had finished their conversation; the blond man sat down opposite Ichigo and rested his hands on the table between them.

"I understand if you have questions, I will do my best to answer them." He promised.

Ichigo nodded once, "Why has it taken so long for this Hollow-side to show? Can it be controlled or reversed? Do you know roughly when I was exposed to the Hogyuku?"

The blond smiled weakly before he began, "I am going to begin with your last question first, I believe from my test results and also from the records of your amnesia that you would have been exposed a short while before the murder of your family, or else you would have remembered it happening. It would have been a very unpleasant and painful experience, not something easily forgotten, which is why I believe that to be the rough time of when it happened.

"At the moment, because your Hollow transformation was interrupted and stopped, it is incomplete and can therefore be reversed, however if you were to lose control again and the process to complete it would become impossible. In that scenario there are two options open, you would either become an incredibly strong Hollow, maybe even a Vasto Lordes... Or you would become something called Vizard which is a Shinigami who can summon a Hollow mask and a Hollow's powers but who retains their memories and their sanity without becoming a full Hollow.

"And finally... If I am correct about when you were exposed to the Hogyuku then you became emotionally void. The 'Hollowfication' process is triggered and sped up by emotional heightened stress. So considering that up until yesterday in the cemetery you had gone years without feeling anything in excess, or indeed anything at all, there was no trigger and no release for the power. However, yesterday that all changed. You suddenly released a boat load of extreme and raw emotion all at once, without a doubt it acted as a trigger to the transformation, and that is why it is pinnacle that you _**do not lose control again**_."

Ichigo balled a fist as he listened, snorting as he recalled the flood of _pathetic_ emotions which had consumed him in the cemetery. It had been so long, well, he couldn't remember when he had last felt such things, and it was most unwelcome, "I understand, and believe me... I am in no hurry to feel any of those things again." He muttered venomously.

"Your emotions do not make you weak Ichigo," Byakuya said sternly, "You have to know your own heart to be able to understand the desires of others. If you hide yourself away you cannot discover what will make you stronger, this is the fundamental reason you have not achieved Bankai yet. Because you have nothing to fight for!"

"I have pleasant to fight for!" he snapped back.

"What? Fighting for your next sexual encounter? Fighting to impress Aizen? You should be fighting for your freedom and your pride!"

"You don't know _anything_ about me! Don't assume you do!" he yelled.

Byakuya snorted at him, "You don't let anyone close enough for them to know anything about you! You keep everyone at a distance because deep down you are _terrified_ of getting hurt!"

"I am not scared!" Ichigo said as he got to his feet, "I have _nothing_ to be afraid of! It is you who does! Aizen has got _everything_ planned out! How do you think you are going to fight the impossible! YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

Byakuya slapped the younger man sharply around the face, "Calm yourself down!" he barked, "This is neither the time nor the place for hysterical little boys. Did you not hear what Urahara said? If you lose control again there may be no coming back from it. Do you want that?"

Ichigo swallowed, his eyes stinging to his shock as he touched his reddening cheek, "I... No Kuchiki-Taichou." He croaked, "My apologies."

The strawberry plopped back down in his seat and remained staring at the table, "Why is Zangetsu encased like that?" he asked as he glanced at his trapped Zanpakto.

Urahara cleared his throat as the tension in the room remained present, "Have you tried to visit your inner world?"

"Yes, it was in ruins..."

"That is the effect of the Hollowfication. Until it is reversed or completed your inner world will remain in flux, Zangetsu will be reunited with you shortly, but you should be aware, you inner world is going to take longer to repair because of the foreign subject of the Hollow side of your soul." He murmured.

"Okay... Thank you." He said quietly before he glanced at Byakuya and then away again, "When are we returning to the Division Taichou?"

"Later on today, Urahara is going to heal my chest a little more and then we will go." He replied stiffly.

"Very well... In that case I will return to that room for a while, I've suddenly become very tired again. Excuse me." The strawberry kept his head bowed as he fled the room, retreating to the same room he had woken up in.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, gripping a handful as his other hand fell beside him on the bed. He was losing his grasp on reality, overnight everything had changed; there was no longer any guarantee that he would be at all safe in Aizen's company, there was no guarantee that he would even survive the onslaught if he became a Hollow... His memories were returning in dribs and drabs, yet his emotions were flooding his senses and making him cower from his responsibilities, his loyalties... One event had made him doubt his purpose, his reason for serving Aizen...

Ichigo blinked as he watched a droplet of water drip onto the back of his hand and stared for a moment, before he realised with a jolt that the tear was his own. He raised a hand shakily and touched his cheeks, they were wet. He was... Crying?

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo swiped the tears away, cursing himself for being so ridiculously overwhelmed by a single slap. He had been slapped several times by Aizen in the past; even Tousen had given him the odd slap around the head for talking back to him. But none had hurt quite so much as one from Byakuya's hand. It confused him and... Frightened him how he had been reduced to embarrassment and shame for his outburst by his Taichou.

"What stupidity is this? Such weakness and unbelievable embarrassment... I don't understand what I'm feeling... I don't understand my feelings at all... What does it mean to feel?" he breathed, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"To feel is to be humane," Byakuya replied from the doorway, "Ichigo, I apologise for striking you, my temper momentarily got the better of me. Are you alright?"

Standing up sharply, the strawberry clenched his teeth, "I would prefer for you not to see me like this."

He walked towards him slowly, "Why? Because you are afraid of it?"

"I... I am not afraid. I merely dislike being seen as weak." He muttered.

"You are not weak. You are strong... you are powerful and you are..." the noble paused and sucked in a breath, "Incredibly attractive when you scowl."

The two froze and stared at each other for a long moment as they both grew red in the face at the nobleman's comments. They exchanged a nervous chuckle and fidgeted on the spot, finally looking away as the tension grew too much for them both.

"Well... This isn't awkward at all is it?" Ichigo said after what felt like an eternity, "I had no idea you thought I was _attractive_... In fact I thought you were strictly straight considering your whole marriage thing."

Byakuya ground his teeth and exhaled noisily through his nose, "I did not say that I thought that... I was stating in general." He muttered, "Besides... My marriage to Hisana does not necessarily mean I am one hundred percent straight, does it?"

"So... You're bisexual?" the strawberry asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"No... I just don't believe in labelling people. Why should love have a gender specific?" he responded, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Love?" Ichigo smirked, "You actually believe in 'love'? Are you soft?"

"No, Ichigo, I merely have some hope left in the world around me, enough that I do not seal myself away from fanciful hopes of the soul. Love being the greatest of those hopes. I loved Hisana, but she was taken from me before her time. Yet her passing does not mean I cannot find love again, it appears in the most unlikely places; the most unlikely people." The nobleman scolded.

The strawberry paused to consider his words and frowned slightly, "Hmm... It is a fanciful hope and yet... Not an entirely unpleasant one."

The two shared a long look before Byakuya inclined his head, "I'll leave you to your thoughts."

"Thanks," he reached out and grabbed his Captain's arm suddenly, "Don't give up on me."

The raven haired male smiled slightly, "Never." He promised before he left the room, letting the door shut behind him.

Ichigo looked at the space where the man had been stood and sighed, looking towards the mirror again slowly and taking in his appearance, his eyes widening slightly as he saw the faint smile tugging at his lips. Shaking his head, Ichigo sat back down and considered what would happen next, there was going to be hell to pay that was for sure; maybe he would die or maybe he would live, either way, he needed to find a new purpose. He needed to find a little... _Pride_.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you again for all your reviews. And finally the moment you have ALL been waiting for, don't like I know it is true, finally we have ByakuyaXIchigo in this chapter. Please enjoy and review, your comments are always appreciated!**

**Chapter Seven:**

"Did you expose me to the Hogyuku?"

The question was a stupid one to ask, it was like to conclude in his death among other things; and despite having been warned off such a dramatic course of action by both Byakuya and Urahara, here he was in Aizen's office. Asking the question.

Aizen stared for a moment before he chuckled in response to it and rose slowly from his chair, "Something seems different about you, Ichigo. For _weeks_ you avoid me, and then the day after it was reported that you had lost control of your reiatsu, you come to me asking such extravagant questions. Why, this is something I would expect of Kuchiki Byakuya, not my well trained subordinate."

"Well maybe your well trained subordinate has reason to doubt you." He retorted without thinking.

The brunet's eyes widened momentarily, "You shock me. I thought you agreed with my cause."

"I..." he paused and looked away, "I do... I just want to know the truth. I want to know who I am. And at the moment I don't have a clue."

The Taichou's expression softened and he rested a hand on Ichigo's head, "I understand... You're struggling aren't you? Perhaps moving you into Kuchiki's division was the wrong choice. He seems to have had something of a negative impact on you." He murmured, sliding his fingers through the younger man's spiky locks.

Ichigo was confused by the tenderness of Aizen's touch and voice, it was so unlike him. This was how the man usually spoke to Momo, and he knew how the man felt about the girl's annoying obsession.

A jolt of realisation struck and Ichigo drew his Zanpakto, swinging it around and grunting as the tip of Kyoka Suigetsu struck the centre of the massive blade, which had arrived just in time to shield his heart.

"Then again, maybe he has had a positive effect on you," Aizen mused as she sheathed his sword once more, "You'd never have suspected that attack otherwise."

Ichigo snarled and his fingers tightened around the hilt of his Zanpakto, "EVERYTHING IS AN EXPERIMENT TO YOU ISN'T IT?! YOU CLAIM THAT I AM A WEAPON THAT YOU NEED AGAINST SEIREITEI BUT YOU'D KILL ME AS QUICKLY AS YOU WOULD FUCK ME!" he roared, his reiatsu fluctuating, "AND I KNEW I WAS EXTENDIBLE... BUT I FIGURED IT WOULD BE AFTER YOU CLAIMED THE HEAVENS!"

"Calm down Ichigo." Aizen ordered, tenderness erased by his waning tolerance, "You will find no answers by losing your patience."

Taking a breath, the strawberry sheathed his sword, "It doesn't look like I will be getting any answers full stop." He snapped, "Well forget it. I respected you enough to think you'd be straight with me... But clearly I was wrong. May I leave?"

Aizen glowered at him, immensely disliking the attitude his pet was displaying. Something would have to be done about it before he got out of hand. A good hard reprimanding: one that the boy would be unlikely to forget soon, "Yes. I think that you should leave." He murmured, eyes narrowed and mind whirring with thought of how he could enact his punishment.

Ichigo turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him, panting slightly as he realised he could have just died. He shook off his shock and sprinted away from his former Taichou's room, forcing aside the feelings which continued to cloud his judgement. For the love of all things he wanted them to go the hell away! He didn't want these strange, foreign... _Emotions_ to plague him. He couldn't function with them! It was Byakuya's fault. It was. It was Byakuya who had unleashed them with that stunning slap.

He turned at the thought and and leapt into a burst of Shunpo, heading back to his own Division to seek the raven haired nobleman. He had made him feel these things so he could... _Deal with them_!

It didn't take long for him to reach his destination, he thought about knocking but threw the door open and entered the room with three moody stomps.

"What did you do to me?!" he demanded, not caring in the slightest that Renji was in the room with a tray of tea in his large hands.

"What is the meaning of this, Ichigo? It is polite to knock." Byakuya responded, returned to his compassionless state now he was back in his comfort zone.

"I am not feeling _polite_," he barked, "I was fine as I was! But all of a sudden I have emotions spewing out of my ears and I don't know what to do about them!" he exclaimed, "You caused it so you will help me deal with it!"

Renji stared slightly, "Ichigo... What are you going on about?" he asked before frowning, "Hey! Mate, come on that is no way to talk to the captain!"

Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed, "Renji, you may leave us. Please feel free to take the evening off, you have worked exceptionally hard today." He breathed.

The redhead faltered momentarily before he set the tray down and bowed respectfully to the man, "Thank you Kuchiki-Taichou! Good evening!" he responded before he exited swiftly, shooting his friend a look which was simply ignored.

Ichigo glared at the nobleman, hearing the door snap shut before he abruptly found himself in a chair with Byakuya leaning over him.

"What are you doing?" he asked the Captain.

"Making you sit down," Byakuya said simply, not moving from his cage like position, "What... Is wrong?"

The strawberry frowned before he looked him in the eye, "Since you slapped me in the laboratory I have been feeling."

"Real emotion?"

"Real enough to scream at Aizen fifteen minutes ago." He breathed as he looked at the raven haired male.

"So... You tried to confront him?" Byakuya asked.

"I did. But I grew angry..." his glare faltered slightly and a more morose expression slid into place, "I don't know what to do... I am feeling _so_ many things all at once... I don't know how to control them. I don't know how to make them go away again. I don't want them. They're confusing and they... They... I just don't understand them!" he exclaimed, glimmers of panic lighting up in his widened eyes.

The raven haired shinigami closed his eyes, "What you are feeling is year's worth of emotion which had pent up over time. Now that it is free I doubt you will be able to cage it again. You will have to adapt."

Ichigo pushed the man back, and stood up, "But... You don't feel anything either so why can't I?!" he said quietly.

Taken aback by his words, the raven haired male sat slowly, "You mistake my visible lack of emotion for an absence of emotion altogether. I can assure that that this is not the case. I feel as much as any other person, I merely control them to the extent that they do not show. It keeps people at arm's length. It enables an easy function." He said with certainty.

Ichigo nodded slowly, "So I cannot rid myself of this... Curse?"

"Your curse, Ichigo, is humanity. I would suggest that you reacquaint yourself with it as soon as possible. Because it isn't going to go away." Byakuya stated, "Emotions aren't evil... Used in the right way they can make you stronger. Fear keeps you quick on your feet and alive. Pride makes you stubborn and unwilling to back down. Love... Love makes you invincible."

"I do not believe in 'love'." Ichigo said simply.

"Yes you do... You are just scared of it." Byakuya responded with a quirked eyebrow.

Growling slightly, Ichigo turned from him, "You're wrong. I don't believe in love. I don't remember the love of my family. I don't feel the love of my friends... I do not believe it exists."

The strawberry tensed suddenly as he felt his captain's hands on his shoulders; his eyes widening vaguely as he felt warm breath on his neck and ear. He could smell his captain's unique scent, an exotic mixture of flowers and musk and warmth. He sensed the man's reiatsu brushing his own tentatively, seeking confirmation.

His heart quivered. Ichigo turned slowly, hesitantly, until he was facing the nobleman, "I can never love you." He said - his voice croaky as he tried to swallow the lump which had formed in his throat.

"Then I shall never ask you to." Byakuya replied before he leaned in and captured the other's lips in a dominating yet tender kiss.

Something lit up within the strawberry, amidst the passion; the heat and the desire, something which was affectionate and glowing. And he he couldn't help but want more of it. It was terrifying and wonderful in the same breath.

Their reiatsu collided and their movements grew more instinctual and more aggressive, a chair was knocked aside, books disturbed from their shelves as someone's back was thrown against the bookcase.

There was no doubt.

No hesitation.

There was tension and need.

Lust and desire.

Byakuya shoved Ichigo against the wall and yanked his legs up around his waist, never once breaking their lip-lock, eliciting a low growl as his subordinate's nimble fingers tore his kensaikan hair pieces from his locks and dropped them unceremoniously to the ground. He dug his fingers into the strawberry's thighs firmly, enjoying the whine it pulled from the other's throat.

Clothes were shredded in haste, while any that provided difficult to disrobe were simply torn and ripped aside, hands fumbled and fondled as they both reached the peak of arousal. Byakuya dipped his fingers into Ichigo, though gentle he was firm with his actions; enjoying every cry and whimper which escaped the mouth of his blushing victim.

Marking his neck with heated kissed and firm bites, Byakuya wrapped his arms under Ichigo's legs and eased into his body, groaning as he was enveloped in his heat. Claiming the younger man's mouth again and he set up a pace of hard and fast jolting, rolling and jerking his hips, striking his prostate every time and working up to dragging wails of bliss from his lips.

He hissed and threw his head back as he felt Ichigo's nails digging into the flesh on his back and drawing upwards, splitting his skin and making his hips judder stiffly in response.

With hunger and fervour he devoured his mouth once more, teeth clashing as they nipped and bit at their lips and tongues. Moans and groans escaped as they parted for a few short seconds before joining again, Byakuya reached up blindly and gripped a handful of Ichigo's hair, stunned when the younger man let out a broken cry of pleasure at the slight yank he gave his locks.

Repeating the action several times and slamming against him more desperately before it took only a few further seconds before they both reached their climax, and as they came together their eyes met momentarily, smouldering and breathless. But, as Byakuya was about to discover, this was only the beginning.

A few hours later, the two men lay together, a tangle of limbs and clothes, on the floor of the office where they had sunk to somewhere between their third and fifth climaxes.

Utterly spent and more content than he ever remembered feeling in his life, Ichigo allowed his head to come to rest upon Byakuya's shoulder, revelling in the dark red marks which littered the nobleman's pale skin and caused by his hands and mouth; his eyes then moved to his own body where he felt completely happy with the bruise like marks which were scattered across him.

He lifted his gaze and went slightly pink in the face as he came face to face with his captain, a man who (until now) he had never considered to be in anyway possessive or aggressive and yet he now saw Kuchiki Byakuya in a completely different light. A powerful, strong man which a hidden side of a slightly darker and more destructive nature, which made him no less attractive but in Ichigo's opinion, an even better lover.

He was slightly bemused by the tender kiss which followed the meeting of their eyes, but never the less enjoyed it and allowed himself to fully relax in the aftermath and the glow of their unexpected passion.

After several further moments, Byakuya glanced down as he heard Ichigo's breathing slow, and a gentle snore escape him and realised that the man had fallen asleep in the post-orgasm bliss. A sigh escaped him as he reached down and brushed several strands of hair out of his eyes before he pulled the mesh of uniforms over their bodies for warmth. They could sleep for a few hours at least before he would have to wake the orange haired male and either allow him to return to his own room, or sneak him into his own. Either way, he wasn't backing down now; he had all the willpower he needed to fight Aizen to the bitter end. And he wasn't any more accustomed to losing than the brunet was.

At Division Five, Aizen was furiously pacing his office while Gin watched smugly from his seat in the window.

"I guess things 'aven't gone according ta plan then?" the silver haired fox chortled.

"I may have minorly underestimated the influence Kuchiki would have over Ichigo..." the brunet murmured, "They are more alike than I formerly realised. But no matter... I will merely have to move the timing of my plans ahead, with or without Ichigo I can take Seireitei and make the move to the Palace."

"But I thought Ichi~berry was gonna be your crown jewel?"

Aizen sighed, "He was, and I still think he can be convinced. The closer he gets to Byakuya the more of a chance there is that the stupid noble will hurt him somehow and he will have no option but to come running back to me..."

"You are placing a lot of luck into this Aizen-Taichou."

"If I knew how things would pan out it wouldn't be as much fun Gin," the other responded coldly, "Make sure Tousen is updated on my intentions, and tell the others."

"Yes Aizen-Taichou."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for the great response to the last chapter, your comments as always are greatly appreciated.**

**This chapter really gets things moving and finalises Aizen's plans *insert evil laugh* I hope you enjoy and please review :)**

**Chapter Eight:**

In the passing weeks, Ichigo was sure he was dreaming. There was simply no way that he had attracted the pure attentions of his captain; he had wrongly assumed that Byakuya would lose interest after they had screwed so thoroughly in his office and yet, in fact, the opposite was true. The nobleman was more interested than ever, and it certainly seemed that he had no intention of letting him go. It was... Nice to be wanted for an honest and truthful reason, and Ichigo found that under the guidance of the man he was beginning to see a light had the end of a very long and very dark tunnel.

His emotional control was stabilizing and his understanding of what he felt was getting easier and easier. For the first time, it felt as though his life was truly his own to govern and control.

He had neither seen nor heard from Aizen since their disagreement, and he was glad of it. It was true that he owed the man a debt for helping him through Shino and accepting him into Division Five, and he certainly hadn't forgotten it. But he also felt as though he had repaid his debt in full over the years. All the grooming, all the bedtime visits, the sweat blood and energy he had poured into his position. He had sacrificed everything for the man, to assist in his goal. Yes... His debt was paid. Now it was time for him to start living a life he had gained without realising it.

It was of course, just as likely that Aizen might have a plan concerning his betrayal and might just kill him in the end. But at least now he would die with the knowledge that he had lived a life rather than watched it being lived for him. This was better.

Talk of the devil, Ichigo looked up to see Byakuya walking towards him and instantly set down his Zanpakto, stabbing the tip into the sand of the training arena.

"Kuchiki-Taichou." he greeted, trying to stop the slightly gormless smile which was attempting to edge its way onto his face.

"Good afternoon Ichigo," the raven haired man responded, taking his time to look at the straw dummy his subordinate had been practicing on, "I read your report on the disappearances in Rukongai this morning..."

"Ah, what conclusion did you come to?" he asked.

"I agree with your results entirely. I think Aizen has been practicing with the Hogyuku on some of the Rukon citizens." Byakuya drew his own Zanpakto and gestured for Ichigo to spar him, "If that is the case then I fear it may be coming close to the finalization of his plans... At which point we must present our findings to Yamamoto-Sou-Taichou."

"But I thought you didn't have much evidence to support your claims?" Ichigo asked as they began a dancing flurry of attacks.

Byakuya sighed quietly, the movement of their feet kicking up a dusty plume from the sandy ground, "I have isolated reports concerning Aizen's recent mood swings; Aizen has also been missing during several Captain's meetings which, as you should realise, has risen more than a few eyebrows already."

"I see... But still it all seems like very feeble evidence." The other told him honestly, "I'm not sure it will be enough."

"Then..." Byakuya hesitated and looked at the man as their swords clanged loudly, "Would you testify?"

"Me?" Ichigo asked, "My word against the word of a man like Aizen? I would be overruled before I had even begun..."

"That would be the case if you were not a seated officer, but you forget, you are a third seat now. You have more of a political position because of it. Aizen has placed you in a position of power, to be used for or against him. He probably knows this which is why he has begun to pick up pace with his plans, he probably suspects that you will be too hesitant about it to testify immediately, giving him chance to finalise his plans."

Ichigo swallowed and tightened his fingers around the hilt of his sword, "I can't live in fear," he said with absolute certainty, "If my testimony will do what it takes to do what is necessary, then I'll testify. For... For you." He added.

Byakuya smiled very slightly and lowered his Zanpakto, "Alright," he sheathed his katana, "I will warn you that by testifying there is a chance that you will be putting yourself in the firing line, people may want you to be prosecuted as well... But I swear to you I will do everything in my power to protect you from that."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo told him, shaking his head and sighing, "The things I've done were conscious and planned; if I have to be punished for them as well then I will serve that punishment willingly. Because it is what I deserve."

The raven haired male blew out a breath, "And there, without a doubt, is the proof that you are changing. Come on, we'll go and see Yamamoto-Sou-Taichou now, get it out of the way."

"Alright," the strawberry blew out a breath, "You'll stay with me right?"

"If course," he murmured, discreetly brushing his fingers over the back of his subordinate's hand, "I'm going to help you."

The two were about to jump into a flash-step together when there was a loud rumble, followed by an eardrum bursting explosion nearby. They both looked around with shocked and surprised expressions which turned to ones of concern as they saw a dark plume of smoke rising from Division Five. Sharing a glance, the two men altered their directions and flash-stepped towards the source of the explosion.

As they came closer to the Division, it became clear that it was a scene of utter devastation, buildings had been obliterated and incinerated; bodies littered the walkways and fires burned in rows of groaning and creaking accommodative rooms. Shinigami who had survived the blast began to stagger and lurch from the cracks and rubble, stunned and singed and bleeding, weeping in the discovery of the immobile bodies of friends and maybe loved ones.

Ichigo and Byakuya dropped down on the top of an undamaged wall, sharing a glance before they dropped over the Division border and began offering aid where they could; both aware that this explosion was a little too convenient to be considered a coincident.

At that precise moment there was a secondary explosion, this one rippled with reiatsu so dense and heavy that it flattened the majority of the still standing buildings to the ground, along with the swaying Shinigami who were still alive. Ichigo found himself on his hands and knees under the pressure, glancing across and seeing that his Captain wasn't in much better condition.

A growl escaped the strawberry's lips and he forced himself up, leaning heavily against several boulders of rubble as he steadied himself, his head snapping up as he saw a dark figure shooting out from among the smoke, his eyes narrowed as he saw characteristic brunet hair overbearing reiatsu.

It was Aizen.

He tottered over to Byakuya and hooked a hand under his arm, helping him stand under the reiatsu, "It's him... He's making his move I can sense it!" Ichigo exclaimed, "We have to go after him! There's no time to warn the others!"

"We can't just run in there without preparation and back up... He could kill us both." The Captain responded.

"Listen to me please I know what-" he swore and broke off as something in Byakuya's pocket began ringing loudly.

The raven haired nobleman blinked for a moment before realisation crossed his face and he pulled a mobile from his pocket, "Urahara-san." He greeted, capturing Ichigo's interest.

"_Kuchiki-san, we saw that explosion... What's going on?"_ the voice of the blond man echoed through the device he had given the young Captain.

He glanced around before answering, "Aizen's making his move; he's blown up his own Division. Why?"

"_That was what I feared..."_ the man sighed quietly, _"I may have left out a few slightly important details..._"

"Like what?" Byakuya asked his voice quiet as concern pulsed through his veins.

There was a long pause before Yoruichi could be heard urging her lover on, _"Like the fact that the Hogyuku is in two pieces and the second piece was hidden inside of... Your sister..."_

"WHAT?!" Byakuya shouted down the phone, momentarily losing control of his emotions, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"

"_When I became aware of just how powerful and dangerous the Hogyuku was I tried to destroy it but I couldn't... So instead I split it into two pieces, holding onto one myself and concealing the other inside the Gigai Rukia-chan used to go to the World of the Living inside. It melded into her soul form when she exited the Gigai and is now buried within the depths of her very being. I think... Aizen discovered this and now intends to reclaim the second piece."_

"You..." he forced himself to calm down, "When this is over you, and I will be having words."

"_I expect we probably will yes. Try and find Rukia-chan, Yoruichi-san and I will be there as soon as we can."_

Byakuya snapped the phone shut and looked at Ichigo, "We need to find Rukia, she is in danger."

"She was meeting Renji in Division Thirteen." The strawberry replied hurriedly, "I heard what he said on the phone... I... I didn't know. He never said anything to me about it... I would have told you..."

"It's alright, I believe you." The other murmured, "We need to get to Rukia before Aizen does... Are you prepared for what we are going to be faced with Ichigo?"

Ichigo's back straightened visibly, "Yes, I am sir."

They took off without another word, heading towards Rukia's Division as fast as their Shunpo could carry them; Byakuya was subconsciously aware that Ichigo was amazingly slightly faster than him when he pushed himself hard enough, but didn't comment on it.

As they drew closer they became increasingly aware of an overbearingly thick reiatsu which was already present within, clashing with another strong Captain's reiatsu. The pair dropped into the Division and ran the rest of the way, skidding to a stop as they rounded the corner into the main square of the barracks where they came face to face with a battle scene.

Aizen had reached the Division before them and had Rukia by the hair while Renji lay sprawled on the ground, his hair hung over his face like a shroud as Ukitake and Aizen clashed swords.

"You've got to stop Ukitake-Taichou." Ichigo gulped.

"I can't swan over there and stop the man who is fighting to stop Aizen taking my sister away Ichigo." The raven haired man argued, shooting a glare at the orange haired man beside him.

"_Don't you see_?" his subordinate hissed venomously, "Aizen is _playing_ with him!"

Byakuya's gaze snapped back to the fighting duo and he realised that Ichigo was indeed correct, all the while Aizen was fending off Ukitake's attacks he had only one hand on his sword and the other still buried in Rukia's locks. He wasn't even watching the older man's assault, "Scatter, Senbonzakura." He said as he drew his own katana and carefully walked into the fray.

Ichigo drew his giant sword as the petals swamped and washed over Ukitake, Aizen, and Rukia; as they did so he ran into them, trusting his Captain to prevent them from cutting into him and he was right to do so, for as he ran through them they parted like a maze of pink petals.

As Aizen came into sight, Ichigo raised his sword and let out a roar as he brought it down towards the man's arm, his eyes going impossibly wide as his blade was met by the brunet's without even a tremor passing up the man's arm. He lifted his gaze and clenched his teeth as he saw Aizen smirking at him in response to his attack; it was then that he realised Byakuya's petals were glancing off his former Captain without leaving behind any damage.

"Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo... Need I tell you how disappointed I am?" he asked.

"Save it!" he snapped back, "Let Rukia go! Now!"

"What are you going to do? Are you really going to fight me?" Aizen tilted his head, "After everything I've done for you?"

"Just shut up... I'm not listening!"

Aizen sighed softly, "Have you truly thought this through? All that we could accomplish together Ichigo. You are a powerful and beautiful man. One which has held my interest far longer than I thought possible. Whatever you might think of me, I always intended to reward your loyalty in the most _majestic_ of ways. A seat as my right hand man, my co-ruler... Once all three worlds were in my control I would have placed you, my elite commander, as the leader of whichever one you desired the most. The world was in your grasp Ichigo, and it still can be. All you have to do is lower your sword and join me. Join me and realise the true power you possess. We can do anything together."

Ichigo looked down, swallowing hard under the scrutiny of his former Captain, such an offer was... Unexpected. It almost sounded like Aizen 'cared' about him: co-ruler sounded more like partner and elite commander... Well that was just another compliment to top it all off wasn't it? Could he really be lead to believe that Aizen would give him a share in his power after everything that had happened? Well he already had technically... Using the Hogyuku on him has given him power. Power which Aizen coveted.

This was a choice that would change everyone's lives forever... And not necessarily in a good way. The Gotei would never surrender and that would be their complete obliteration! The Soul King would never hand over his crown and that would be his total annihilation too... An entire world brought to its knees for the sake of absolute power. It wasn't like he was above temptation... Because he wasn't, and he was _very_ tempted.

"We can do anything we want. We can make the world kneel before us; we could pillage and destroy whatever we wanted; rebuilding it all in the image of our minds' eye. Imagine it Ichigo! Absolute control of life and death... You could be a king... You could be a god." Aizen whispered, slowly pushing Ichigo's Zanpakto aside and stepping into the younger man's personal space, lowering his lips to his ear, "You crave freedom from law and order. You crave freedom from the belittling stares of those who can never understand you. You crave power. I am offering you the world and all you have to do is reach out and take it with both hands. All you have to do is say yes."

Ichigo closed his eyes as he felt his breath against his skin, he felt himself quiver with excitement. What he said was true. He did crave those things but... But he also craved feeling. He craved being wanted and needed. He craved respect. There was no room for any of those things in Aizen's ideal of the world. If he said yes he would have to surrender those things and forget them.

Did he really want to do that? Forget about all the things he wanted out of life? They had been dreams for so long, but someone had brought them to life and made him realise he could achieve what he wanted to. What did he want though? His heart which had been quiet for so long began to beat faster, his stomach knotting in anticipation of his choices. Whatever he decided the outcome would be the same. Aizen would still obliterate Soul Society whether he was with him or not. The real question was whether Ichigo would stand beside him... Or against him.

Darkness had been his companion for so long. Loneliness had been his only ally. A shadowed path had led him to this point, one clouded in mystery and amnesia. He had already lost his life once before... What he had now was the tattered remnants which he could... He could build into something brilliant. It was up to him to shape it into something usable and liveable and his best hope of that lay with the raven haired man who had given him his complete trust.

He could never rebuild his life how he wanted it while he had a foot in both worlds.

"No." He whispered.

"What did you say?" Aizen questioned: his tone disbelieving.

"I said no." Ichigo repeated, "I'm sorry Aizen-Taichou... I am truly sorry but I can't be what you want me to be. I can't be who you want me to be either..."

Just beyond the storm of pink petals, Byakuya let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding as he heard Ichigo's words; a smile touched his lips as unparalleled relief coursed through his veins.

"How... _Disappointing_." Aizen sighed heavily before his reiatsu rose abruptly, crushing the wall of petals which surrounded them and watching as the pink blossoms were forced back into their sword form by his overbearing power.

Byakuya's eyes widened as his Zanpakto appeared back in his hand against his will; his gaze moved to Aizen before he let out a startled cry as he was forced to the ground under the pressure of the man's reiatsu, "W... What..."

"You look surprised Kuchiki Byakuya..." the brunet smirked as he slowly removed his glasses and shattered them with a flick of his fingers, sweeping his hair back, "Ichigo... You frustrate me. But as you know I always have a contingency plan. I merely wish I didn't have to resort to it."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked before he gasped as his throat was grabbed and he was hoisted off his feet.

"You don't truly think I would let you walk away from me do you? You are far too powerful to let Soul Society have." Aizen chuckled before his eyes narrowed and he plunged his blade through Ichigo's chest, barely cringing as the strawberry vomited blood.

Byakuya's eyes when wide as he saw the silver blade spear his subordinate and a yell was torn from his lips, "ICHIGO!"

Aizen tore his sword free again and let Ichigo fall to the ground, watching as the boy's scarlet life force poured from the wound, "Now then, time to come out and play." He breathed.

Thick dense reiatsu in multiple shades of black and red spewed from the wound in the strawberry haired male's chest and shot up into the sky like a tornado; a blood curdling scream escaped Ichigo's lips as his eyes rolled back and his body contorted in pain. His back arched up off the walkway and his hands balled into tight fists, his skin growing pale from blood loss and his mouth falling open as white foam erupted and disgorged down his front and over his face.

Byakuya, Ukitake, and an unconscious Renji were blown backwards across the walkway and into the far wall by the force of the reiatsu being pumped from Ichigo's body; as the two conscious men struck the wall they let out simultaneous groans and slumped slightly.

The raven haired nobleman rubbed the back of his head where he had hit it and faltered as he watched his subordinate's condition change; dread pooled in his stomach and he reached for his Zanpakto, faltering when Ukitake grabbed his wrist.

"The best thing we can do now is alert the other Taichou. While their focus is not on us we must flee." The older man told him sternly.

"What about Rukia? Aizen still has her..." Byakuya ground out through clenched teeth.

"If you want to rescue your sister you will need assistance I think. Come on," the white haired captain hoisted Renji up off the floor and held him in his arms before he got to his feet and looked at Byakuya again, "We need to go now."

Byakuya balled a fist and looked at Ichigo before he swore under his breath and flash-stepped away with his fellow Captain, looking back seconds later as a Hollow's roar shook the very foundations of the Division.

Aizen smirked widely and slowly crouched down, reaching out and brushing his fingers through the waist length orange hair which rippled for from beneath the white bone structure and jagged horns which protruded from his former subordinate's forehead; he refused to be startled when the creature before him let out a low growl, puffs of steam exhaling from its nose. He moved his hand around and cupped the cold; hard bone structured mask which concealed the handsome face. Aizen ran his fingers tips against the bone, trailing his hand down its neck and through the tufts of blood red fur which had sprouted from its collar bones and came to rest over the large hole in the centre of its chest where moments ago he had buried the blade of his sword.

"Perfect." He breathed as he appraised the creature before him, "You are even more marvellous than I had expected, Kurosaki Ichigo... A true gem among pebbles." He glanced down as the thick white tail coiled around his waist slowly and smirked as he soon realised it was an action of affection, "Yes... You are much more manageable like this too. Come Ichigo, it is time to introduce you to your kin."

Detangling himself from the tail, Aizen got to his feet and held his hand out to the Hollowfied Shinigami before him, smiling wickedly as his obedient servant accepted his hand and rose to its feet beside him. Lifting the Kuchiki girl from the floor where he had discarded her previously, Aizen smirked at the girl and disappeared in a flash, his Hollowed pet at his side.

At the same moment, there were four large explosions which rippled through Seireitei like an earthquake; followed by three blasts of reiatsu which shot into the sky like beacons before the owners of the reiatsu moved, all heading for the same place.

Sôkyoku Hill.


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, here it is another chapter. Without a doubt this has been the most difficult chapter I have written for this story because... Well to be perfectly honest I made myself cry. I hope you enjoy the chapter, I poured absolutely **_**everything**_** I have into this to make it as good as I possibly could so hopefully that will show!**

**Stay tuned to find out what happens next! ... Don't kill me? Please? **

**Chapter Nine:**

Aizen rose up and set the world on fire; his evil macerations of sinister unending night stretched and consumed all those in his path. Ichigo was just the first who fell into the darkness.

Byakuya watched from the shadows of Rukongai's tallest building as Seireitei became amassed by thick black smoke and flames which rose highly into the sky; spreading like a plague throughout the Divisions. His heart felt heavy in his chest as he considered his unconscious Fuku-Taichou who lay within the building he was stood on; his lost sister who remained in Aizen's clutched awaiting death or worse; and finally his thoughts turned to the horned, pale skinned Hollow his Third Seat had become.

Was Ichigo too far gone to return? Would he have to put down the man he respected and... Cared about?

Hanging his head, Byakuya stilled as he sensed his former Sensei approaching him, "Yoruichi." He greeted.

"Byakuya." She answered; perhaps the lack of her usual substandard title for him reflected the gravity of the situation they found themselves in.

"How is Renji?" the raven haired nobleman asked, his steel grey eyes still fixed on the city.

"He is fine; he had a bang to the head and a slight concussion. He's come round if you want to talk to him?" Yoruichi announced.

He shook his head, "I sensed him wake. I will see him in a while."

"You worried about Ichigo?"

"Is it so obvious?" he sighed.

She hesitated, "You wear his reiatsu; in an intimate way. Are you... Are you lovers?"

Closing his eyes momentarily as he just about managed to prevent a blush spreading across his cheeks, "Yes and no," he said honestly, "We have only been intimate over a period of three and a half weeks. And, Ichigo cannot feel love at the moment so..."

"I understand," she cut him off and smiled at him, "I'm pleased for you."

"In what way are you pleased for me?"

She chuckled gently, "You said _Ichigo_ cannot feel love... That doesn't mean to say _you_ can't feel love. And I think you do feel it. Don't you?"

"Since when did you begin questioning my love life Yoruichi?" he muttered.

"So it _is_ a love life then!" she grinned.

"Oh dear God shut up." He growled, "How can you laugh when things are this bad?!"

That made her quieten down; she looked towards the burning city and sighed under her breath, Yoruichi was rarely one to act seriously because it made everything seem impossibly big and unavoidable. Unstoppable. Unbelievable. Humour made it manageable.

"I spoke to Kisuke," she said in a whisper, "He said that Ichigo is in danger of losing himself to his Inner Hollow who will be fighting him in his Inner World for dominance. However, if he defeats his Inner Hollow, Ichigo will gain dominance over himself and his Hollowfied powers, regaining control of his body and returning him to... Well, to normal."

Byakuya looked around at her sharply, "Is there a way to assist him in winning the battle?"

"I don't know... I'm sorry." She murmured before she looked around as Urahara emerged from the hatch in the roof, followed by a bruised and battered Renji.

"Taichou, I'm sorry... I couldn't stop him taking Rukia. He caught me completely unawares..." the redhead began before his Captain silenced him.

"This was not your fault Renji, do not blame yourself, I certainly do not hold you responsible for this..." his gaze hardened and he looked at the blond slowly, "You however... If my sister dies, I will personally see to it that you are executed in the most painful manner I can discover."

"Understood, Byakuya-san..." the blond breathed, "However there may still be time, so we should act while we still can."

"What can we do?" the nobleman asked.

"Aizen has fled to Sôkyoku Hill with Rukia, ideally that would mean he wanted to use the execution grounds to remove the second half of the Hogyuku from her body... But failing that it is possible he could use something else, something smaller and much more malleable. He will likely be completely focused on his task and distracted from our approach, however Ichigo and three other accomplices are present, and they will not be distracted." Yoruichi stated calmly.

"Indeed, we need to tread exceedingly carefully or else we will be stopped before we have even started." Byakuya agreed, sighing slightly before he closed his eyes and considered their options.

Renji stood silently as he watched the three Captain level Shinigami thinking, knowing he wasn't nearly smart enough to come up with an appropriate plan of action that they would find helpful. He went and sat down at the edge of the rooftop and let his legs dangle over into the abyss as he contemplated Ichigo's part in everything that was happening.

He hurt to consider that his friend was a traitor, that he had been playing them all, that he had been feeding Aizen information from day one; he didn't know Ichigo at all and he wasn't sure whether the former of the latter hurt more.

The redhead tipped his head back and stared up at the smoke filled mid-day sun, he felt sick; his stomach was twisting and knotting in concern for Rukia, and in concern for Ichigo. Despite being angry, hurt and upset that the strawberry had deceived them all he couldn't lie... It would take more than that to stop him from caring, and the others would all be the same. They had all known Ichigo for a long time, all knew his burdens; they all knew he couldn't feel anything, but once upon a time he had pretended. But that had stopped when he had started getting closer to Aizen. Aizen had taken their friend away. And Renji wasn't going to let that go.

"Would it be at all helpful if I told you that there is a secret tunnel leading from Rukongai all the way to the middle of Sôkyoku Hill?" Renji asked, looking around slowly.

"What?" the three said in unison.

He hesitated, "When we were kids, Ichigo; Rukia and I used to play around an abandoned mine in the outskirts of Rukongai; one day Ichigo fell down it and broke his wrist. He said he could feel a breeze down the tunnel, so we went an explored a week later... We followed the tunnel for about an hour and a half before we came out just under the peak of the cliff face. With a three minute climb you can be stood on the Hill."

"Why have you never mentioned this before?" Byakuya asked as he approached his Fuku-Taichou.

"It has never been important to share." He said honestly, "I never really thought about it as being anything remotely important or anything so I never said anything."

Byakuya flipped around and looked at Urahara, "Well? Would it work?"

"Technically, the mine would have to be too deep for anyone to sense reiatsu through so it would certainly give us a head start." The blond nodded slowly, "We can only try. Either succeed or die trying."

"Then we will go, but I will say this now in front of witnesses..." Byakuya raised his gaze slowly and looked towards Sôkyoku Hill, "On my pride as the Head of the Kuchiki family I will not die until I have taken both Rukia and Ichigo from _that man's_ grasp. I swear it."

Yoruichi watched her former pupil with a small melancholy smile, on any other occasion she would have thrown her head back and laughed at him for being such a stuck up prig; so dependent on his beliefs and his status. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, not when he said it with such a finality, such determination, and sincerity. She could sense that he meant it, and she was certain that he would rise from the grave if he was struck down before his task was complete. Her Little Byakuya had grown so strong.

The sun was setting, settling into the horizon, and sending flashes of colour into the sky. Aizen watched from the Hill as he prepared himself to remove the Hogyuku's twin from within the body of the Kuchiki girl. After all, there would be no going back after this and he would miss the sunset and sunrise once he was safely in Hueco Mundo.

Certainly he could have his scientists manufacture a false sky and a false sun; he could even have them construct artificial weather patterns. But there was nothing quite as beautiful as a true sky stained with true sun-kissed glows. So what if he was an evil mastermind? He was still permitted to be sentimental about the things which pleased him, and besides, once he ruled the heavens Soul Society would be his as well, and he could return to see the sunset again.

The brunet turned away, his gaze shifting to the ivory coloured skin which glistened like crystals under the sun's glare; the sunset coloured hair which blew in the breeze and the golden eyes which looked like two miniature suns.

Ichigo was beautiful, even as a Hollow. And by far, was his greatest creation, oh how the others would be jealous; especially Ulquiorra with his unhealthy fascination in him. Ichigo would rise in the ranks, not only would he be his right hand man, he would be his Cero Espada. He would be a commander, a king, and a lover, once he had properly transformed him into his final form. And very proficient at all those jobs, he had no doubt about that.

He walked towards the Hollowfied male slowly, brushing his fingers across his chest and smirking at the low rumbling growl which escaped his lips. He hushed him and looked around as he sensed his companions finally approaching the Hill, undoubtedly they had met some resistance from other Captains once the news of his betrayal had spread, but even so he had expected a little better of them. It wasn't too much to ask for them to be on time was it?

He offered a smile as Tousen and Gin appeared a short distance away, "Did you have much resistance?"

"Like ya wouldn't believe!" Gin answered as he walked over, the silver haired man paused and looked Ichigo over, "I'm guessin' ya had to go to plan B with this one, ne, Aizen-Taichou."

"Regrettably Kuchiki Byakuya had more of a hold over him than I had first expected, so yes, I had to move to plan B. Not that I regret it, I would have done so eventually anyway. Where is _he_?"

"Still stuck with Kenpachi." Tousen murmured as he joined them as well, "As I have expressed before, that fiend enjoys fighting far too much, he smears justice and uproots what is right."

"We are here, havin' betrayed the laws of Seireitei and ya are still harping on about justice?!" The Taichou of Division Three exclaimed, "Fer goodness sake Tousen..."

Aizen raised a hand and shushed the pair before they could begin arguing, "He does enjoy fighting, however he is useful, and he had provided a great deal of information over the period of his time here. And for that he will be properly rewarded once we reached Hueco Mundo."

"Are we expecting a struggle?" Gin asked.

"No, by the time the Gotei organise themselves I will have the Hogyuku's twin half and we will be on our way out of this place. We won't have any trouble." The brunet smirked and slowly looked at the Kuchiki girl.

She was crumpled on the floor; he had knocked her out after their encounter with her brother as she had become far too wriggly for his liking, he leaned down and picked her up by the scruff of her uniform and let her dangle in front of him for a moment.

"Did you bring the item I requested Tousen?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes Aizen-sama." The darkly skinned male moved forwards gracefully and lifted his hand, holding out the small tube like object for his superior.

"Thank you." He murmured, taking it from him and slotting it onto his finger.

There was a gust of reiatsu before the tube began to transform into a gnarled looking twig which spread up his arm, turning the entire limb into a tree like texture. Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly and smirked widely, before he reached forwards and reached into the unconscious girl's stomach; a gasp of glee escaped his lips as his fingers closed around the small sphere which had been hidden within her body for one hundred years.

With a harsh yank he tore it free from its prison and dropped her, allowing her body to crumple on the ground as she woke, screaming in the agony of having her soul manhandled. He kicked her out of his way and held the Hogyuku up to the fading light, a long breath escaping him as he flourished the twin half of the powerful sphere in his hand. Holding his breath in anticipation and excitement he slowly moved them towards each other and watched as small pale blue electric sparks flickered into life between the two balls, he felt a magnetism pulling his hands together and his pupils dilated in desire as he watched the two halves of the Hogyuku beginning to merge together, slowly, oh so slowly, transforming into one slightly larger globe.

When the transformation was complete, he lowered the fulfilled Hogyuku and rolled it in his palm, chuckling slightly as he considered how smoothly the whole operation had gone. All he had left to do was dispose of the girl, she was worthless to him now and Kuchiki Byakuya deserved a little punishment for his interference, and then they would leave for Hueco Mundo and finalise his plans. Ichigo would become a Vasto Lordes, the first ever to be created from a Shinigami's body into a Hollow's body, and he would be perfect. Soul Society would quiver in the wake of his betrayal and he would smite them down like the ants they were.

Keeping the Hogyuku firmly in his grasp, he leaned down once more and picked Rukia up by her hair, holding her out to the side, "Gin, be a good man and dispose of this... _Trash_ for me."

"Yes, Aizen-Taichou!" the silver haired fox grinned happily at the offer of a nice juicy murder, he drew his short Zanpakto and rested the blade on his arm, aiming it at the chest of the young woman, "Shoot 'm dead, Shinso!"

"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya half screamed, snapping his own katana towards the group and watching with unusually widened eyes as his cerise petals shot across the gap separating them and swarmed around the extended blade of Gin's sword, stopping it in its tracks, literally just a couple of inches from Rukia's chest.

Gasping in relief, Byakuya walked forwards slowly, his expression hardening slowly as Aizen looked across at him; the nobleman glanced back in time to see Yoruichi; Urahara and Renji climbing over the tip of the Hill to join him. He looked ahead again, his gaze briefly lingering on Ichigo before it switched to Aizen.

"You are under arrest Aizen, come in peacefully and your punishment may be lessened." He said firmly.

"You are going to arrest me? Are you sure?" the brunet merely smirked and snapped his fingers.

At that exact moment one of the powerful energies he had sensed heading towards the Hill, appeared out of nowhere and knocked Byakuya clean off his feet, pinning him to the ground and throwing his Zanpakto aside.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia screamed.

At the same time he heard Renji yell, "Taichou!"

Blowing his hair out of his face, Byakuya looked up at whoever it was who dared lay their hands on him so forcefully and his eyes went wide as he found himself face to face with the Division Three's Sixth Seat, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. He let out a cry as he received a reiatsu powered punch to the ribs, shattering three of them.

"What are you doing here Grimmjow?" the nobleman growled out, glaring up into the azure eyes of the Shinigami above him.

Returning a feral grin, "What do you think Kuchiki?" he growled as he pushed himself up and stood, ripping his kosode off and letting it fall to the ground where it was picked up by the wind and carried off the Hill; the cobalt haired male then turned towards Aizen and held his arms out, "Sorry I'm late, got held up by that Division Two bitch-lord."

"Soi-Fon?" Aizen asked in amusement.

"Yeah, fucking bitch wouldn't leave me alone. So I threw her down one of those huge holes in the middle of the Division."

"I am certain she will enjoy her time down there." The brunet smirked before he lifted the Hogyuku.

The ball of swirling light and power shot from his hand and hovered in the air, level with the man's forehead as his reiatsu rose and fluctuated as he poured his energy and his desires into the orb. There was a flash of brilliant and blinding light, during which Urahara let out a roar of 'NO' before he fell silent again.

When the light faded, Grimmjow threw his head back and cackled loudly as his skin visibly hardened, his eyes turning wild and untamed as a white matter poured from his open mouth like blood from a fresh wound; his bared chest shifted slightly, becoming more defined as far as his muscles and six-pack were concerned before a patch began to darken over his heart and slowly eroded away to reveal a fist sized Hollow-hole.

Lowering his arms and growling like an animal freshly released from a cage, the blue haired male ran his hands through his hair and then ran them down his chest, running a finger around the hole in his chest before he chuckled and looked back at the people watching, "Fuck yeah, Sexta's back!"

"Sexta?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"My rank and position in Aizen-sama's growing army." He turned his back and showed them the gothic black number six on his back.

"A-Army?!" Byakuya exclaimed as he slowly getting himself back onto his feet from where he had been pushed over.

"Of course, dear Byakuya," Aizen chuckled as he looked at him, "What do you think I've been planning all this time? Tch, pathetic. Grimmjow, Gin, neutralise our guests."

The Kuchiki glared and held his side, wincing as his side burned in the wake of broken bones; his head snapped around as he heard a trio of cries behind him and he bit back a howl as he spun too fast for his ribs to accept, in time to see Urahara, Yoruichi and Renji being planted on the ground by the pair. He looked slowly at the long haired Hollow who concealed Ichigo from his sights and tried to make himself believe that the man he knew was still within somewhere.

"If you want to kill Rukia, you will have to kill me first." The raven haired Taichou announced, his voice calm and serene.

"Do you really think I am going to have a problem with that?" Aizen sneered, walking forwards slowly, dragging Rukia across the dusty ground by her silken locks, "Kuchiki Byakuya you are a fool."

"Maybe I am," The nobleman said quietly, closing his eyes for a moment, "But do you know something, Aizen Sousuke?"

"What?" the brunet smirked as he came to a halt just an arm's reach from the noble.

He lifted his head suddenly and met his gaze, "I may be a fool; in fact I am certain that I am a fool but, if there is one thing I can say, it is that even while being a fool I had the respect to give him another option." He nodded his head at Ichigo, "He deserved better than you. He deserves more than being used by you. He has a good heart, and you stole it from him when he was a child. Don't think he'll forget. He will come to hate you."

Aizen rolled his eyes, "Oh _please_ is that really the best you've got?" he scoffed at him before he sighed and lifted Rukia up so her feet were dangling, "I do believe you said something about having to kill you before her. I think I will take you up on your offer."

"Do it. If you dare." He growled in response, setting his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

The brunet merely smirked and drew his Zanpakto, swinging it arrogantly at his side before his arm shot out and he plunged the blade into Byakuya's chest, coming inches away from his heart and tearing a scream of pain from the steel eyed man, before the blade was stopped by a foreign force.

A snow white hand clamped around the blade and stopped it in its tracks. A rumbling growl mixed with faint plume of steam escaped through the nostrils of the bone mask.

"P... Pro...tect... Pro...tect..." the raspy, faint voice which escaped from beneath the Hollowfied exterior sent hope through Byakuya's veins and despite the pain in his chest he felt his soul soar, "Must... P... Protect..."

Blood began to drip from between the clenched talon like fingers of the Hollowfied Ichigo as he fought not to allow the blade to penetrate any further into the nobleman's chest, but also to prevent it from being ripped clean out.

He turned his amber/gold eyes onto his brunet master; they were empty and emotionless, yet brighter and more certain than before, like they had a purpose; like he had a purpose, "Protect."

"Ichigo calm down." Aizen said, forcing stability into his tone.

"Protect."

"I know, Ichigo, but remember, you protect me, don't you?" The brunet said firmly.

"Protect. Protect. Protect." The Hollow slowly turned to face his _master_, while still keeping a firm grasp on the blade, "Protect. Protect. PROTECT. PROTECT. PROTECT. PROTECT!"

A roar broke free of him suddenly as his reiatsu rose exponentially and his free fist flew out, punching clean through Aizen's chest. Blood sprayed from the front and back of the newly formed hole and seeped down the pale white, creamy skin of the Hollow as he slowly flexed his fleshy, bloodied talons.

Aizen, who had slumped and released his sword, stared blearily at the arm which had just thumped through his body and gargled as scarlet fluid dribbled from between his lips.

The Hollow ripped his arm free and watched as the brunet crumpled on the floor, a howl escaped him before he turned his attention to the raven haired male he was stood so closed to.

Golden eyes searched grey ones, until some form of recognition focused in the wife yellow orbs and the Hollow wrapped his arms and tail around the Shinigami man, using a burst of Sonido to move Byakuya and Rukia out of the way of further danger. He laid the man on the ground and continued supporting the sword which was embedded in his chest while he rested Rukia down beside him.

"Ichigo, I know you can hear me..." Byakuya said quietly, "And I want you to know that... I will still feel the same about you whether you stay in this form or turn back. What you look like, it doesn't matter to me. I just want what is best for you. And hopefully, that means sticking around."

"I... Kn...ow." the Hollow said in the same forced, strained voice as before.

"I'm glad." He noble replied before they were blasted by a powerful burst of turbulence, caused by reiatsu.

They looked back at Aizen's body, the Shinigami's eyes widened while the Hollow's face remained unmoving at the sight of the Hogyuku rising from the "dead man's" clammy hand and moving into position above the hole in his chest before it shot downwards suddenly and like a defibrillator machine, sent a burst of life through the brunet's body as it merged with his chest and began to heal his body.

"Oh no..." Byakuya breathed as he watched Aizen pick himself up off the floor, the Hogyuku now firmly embedded in his chest.

"That was... Highly unexpected, Ichigo, and _very_,_ very disappointing_." The brunet growled quietly, "I expected you to be much more... Entertaining when you decided to try and kill me."

"You expected him to do that?!" Renji yelled from where he was still pinned down by Gin.

"Silence. You are unimportant." Aizen snapped, walking forwards slowly as he once again approached them.

The Hollow stood up, leaving Rukia to support Kyoka Suigetsu as he put himself between Byakuya and Aizen, squaring his shoulders as the breeze caught his strawberry locks and blew them around gently.

"I had such great plans, but if you cannot be domesticated then there is no point to this, facade any longer." Aizen muttered, "I had respect for you, I had plans for you, but no... You have to root for the little man... You had to decide to side with the losing side. I am _so_ disappointed."

"I... Will protect..."

"Yes I heard you the first half a dozen times boy." The man snapped, his patience wearing thin, "And now... You have outlived your usefulness."

The Hogyuku pulsed. It was the only warning the Hollow had before Aizen was upon him, sword flourished from nowhere and suddenly impaled through his gut. A Hollowfied roar echoed around Sôkyoku Hill as the sword was ripped horizontally from his body. He collapsed, his mask fracturing and his reiatsu shrinking.

Byakuya felt a hoarse wail break loose as he saw blood spatter the ground where Ichigo had landed, he barely had time to realise that somewhere between approaching and stabbing Ichigo, the sword had been torn from his chest. It had been a blur of movement, unnoticeable and untraceable.

Aizen flicked the gory from his blade, "Such a shame. You were so beautiful." He breathed before he turned and walked away, "Gin, Grimmjow, Tousen. Come. We are leaving."

The sky tore open at that moment, the light of the Menos Grand lowering down to rescue their kinsmen from Seireitei. No one moved until the Garganta had sealed shut again, but once it had the Hill was a hive of activity.

Yoruichi ran towards Byakuya to assist him while Urahara and Renji tore down the Hill towards Ichigo. The two men reached him just in time to see the remnants of his Hollow mask break and disappear; his skin was returning to its usual sun-kissed shade. Before long, all that remained was the snake like tail which protruded from the base of his spine and poked out of his torn hakama.

Urahara knelt down and began emergency first aid; pressing cloth against the ugly wound in the younger man's side. Ichigo was going into shock; he was shaking and gasping, seeing with his normal chestnut eyes but not really looking. The blond glanced around and saw his partner was patching Byakuya's wounds up, he gestured for her to bring him over, and quickly. The purple haired woman took notice and scooped her former pupil up, flash-stepping over and setting him down beside the bleeding strawberry.

Byakuya leaned over; one hand rested against his chest as the other grabbed a hold of Ichigo's hand in a bone crushing grip, "Ichigo, stay conscious. Don't you dare give in, you hear me?" he asked, his voice cracking quietly.

"M... I'm scared," Ichigo wheezed, "W-what... What if... It's too late?"

"Too late for what?" Byakuya asked, leaning down and cupping the side of the man's face as he saw his eyes welling up.

"Too... Too late for... Me to make amends..." he gasped out, "I've done... So many bad things... Without a real reason... What if... I didn't make up... For it in time? What if... The Soul King doesn't forgive me? I... I'm going... Going to end up in Hell... Alone..."

"No, Ichigo, no that won't happen," the noble whispered, brushing several locks of hair back off his forehead, "You turned on that man, you showed your quality and you... You fought to protect me and Rukia... No one could ask any more of you."

"But what... What if I go to Hell? I... I'll be on my own..."

"If you go to Hell, Ichigo, I will break down the gates myself and take you back from that place. Because your soul does not belong there." He told him firmly, swiping tears from the younger man's cheeks as they spilled over the dam that was his eyelids.

Ichigo coughed weakly, barely aware of what Urahara was doing to his wound, "How did you choose not to feel anything for so long?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I regret it. Because, the moments I have spent feeling things for you have made me feel so alive again. I've felt more complete now than I have since I was a child. And that is because of you. You brought me out of my shell. You saved me from a life of solitude and loneliness. And I thank you for that Ichigo." The raven haired male sniffled slightly as his own eyes welled up, "And that's why you have to stay awake... You can't go to sleep now..."

The strawberry swallowed hard as his eyes shut for a moment before opening again, a small smile touched his lips, "You... You don't need to thank me... Byakuya... It... It's me who should... Thank you." He paused for breath and licked his lips, "I was... So detached from everything... So cold and unfeeling... I was willing to do whatever Aizen asked of me... For so long... And you made me realise... I didn't have to do that... I never had to do that... You made me feel... You made me remember... The good feelings a person can have... And above all... You made me remember that I... I am a _person_... Not a tool..."

"Oh well... You're welcome then." The man laughed wetly.

Ichigo's smile widened slightly and his breathing became more laboured, "I said... I could never do it... But I lied... I lied so... So completely..."

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked tearfully, fighting to stop his eyes from spilling over.

"I mean..." he licked his lips again, "I mean... I love you... Kuchiki... Kuchiki Byakuya... I... I love you... And you... You saved me..."

His eyes widened for a moment before his chest became tight, and despite the people around them, Byakuya leaned down and claimed the other's mouth passionately, cupping his cheek and keeping a tight hold of his hand as he felt his tongue working weakly against his own. Pulling back slowly, his face slackened as he felt Ichigo's hand fall limply from his own as his heart failed and his breathing stopped.

His ears were ringing, and he heard screaming; he didn't realise until much later that it was his own voice he could hear, he fought and fought as he felt someone with strong arms pulling him away from the body of his lover and he clawed and scratched at them, his throat drying and his voice turning hoarse as the screams kept coming. Kept spilling out.

The smell of sake swirled around his senses and somewhere in the back of his mind he briefly registered that he was being held back by Kyoraku Shunsui.

Reinforcements had arrived, and Unohana was pouring over the motionless body of the strawberry haired male on the ground, Isane at her side as they fought to resuscitate him.

Finally collapsing under the strain, he felt Kyoraku scoop him up and slowly remove him from the scene; faintly aware that Rukia and Renji were at his sides as he stared at the darkened sky with sightless eyes. Unseeing and hazy. Coldness enveloped his body as shock and pain and upset and grief set in.

Vaguely he felt himself being laid on a bed, clearly a hospital bed as it was far too lumpy to be his own. He continued simply staring, paying no attention the voices around him as he simply curled up on his side and buried his face in the pillow beneath his head. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to hear it. He wanted his strawberry alive and kicking and in his arms... And he wasn't there. No one was there. He was the one who was alone.


	10. Chapter 10

**What a fantastic reaction to chapter 9! Thank you ever so much for the continued support, I hope you continue to enjoy :)**

**Chapter Ten:**

It was merely hours after the fight, Byakuya had not moved since Kyoraku had set him on the hospital bed, refusing either to talk or accept medical treatment for the wound in his chest. He had stopped crying, though it evaded him as to when he had done so, but he knew his voice and throat were raw from the screams he had emitted on Sôkyoku Hill. His eyes, still sore from his tears, were monochromatic with the dulcet undertones of fresh grief.

Grief which was beyond the lingering memory of what he had felt at the time of his late father and grandfather's deaths. Although tragic and unsettling for a man of his age, their deaths had been little more than the result of old age and sickness, both of which could be prepared for, they could be planned around and gotten used to.

Kuchiki Sojun had been a strong and proud man, destined to take over the Clan upon his father's retirement, yet he was cut down in his prime by a debilitating sickness, snatching him away when Byakuya was in his late nineties. And not long after, his grandfather Kuchiki Ginrei had gone on to be reunited with his son, becoming just another broken branch off the metaphorical family tree.

Their deaths, though morbid, had seen the finalisation of his training - to conceal his emotions, to rise up and become one of the most powerful and influential Clan leaders in history - and yet, it was now shattered, and for nothing. His facade of emotional lacking was broken, along with his only recently rediscovered heart. He had lost it all.

Yes his sister was alive, she was mostly unharmed if he excluded the plausible mental scarring she had experienced during her horror story. Yes, Renji was also alive and though slightly more battered and worse for wear that Rukia was he was alive and kicking. And indeed, _he_ was alive as well, but he would much rather have died. Died in the place of someone he had sworn to protect at all costs, the one person who meant the most.

He had failed. He had let himself and his pride down. But most of all he had let... He had let Ichigo down. He couldn't muster the energy to shake it off as being just another unfortunate event, sweeping it away like he did with his hair as though none of it mattered... Because it _did_ matter. It mattered a lot. It mattered to him.

As bored as he had become of staring at the taupe coloured walls of the hospital room in Division Four, he couldn't be bothered to turn over or to sit up. It was simply too much effort. Never before in his life had he been lazy, but without really deciding it consciously he had come to the cataleptic resolution that he just couldn't be assed with anything.

He didn't even move or greet his fellow Taichou as she entered the room, his eyes remained unflinchingly on the wall, flitting over the poorly painted pattern which so clearly showed the sweeping motion of the thickly bristled brush that had been used during the decoration.

"My subordinates tell me that you have refused their treatment, so I took the time to come down here myself to see to you." The woman announced, and the snapping sound of her applying rubber gloves echoed ominously after her voice.

The healer paused for a moment as she was met with cold, stunning silence and frowned faintly; she had never known the young nobleman to impertinently ignore someone before, especially not another Taichou. She sighed inwardly, quickly deducing that the ginger boy meant something to him.

She considered what Kyoraku had told her of Byakuya's response when he had been escorted off the Execution Grounds, as well as what Renji had said about the pair becoming increasingly close over the course of the past few weeks.

Relationships were so messy, she decided before walking around the bed so that she was stood in front of him; she then crouched down slowly and looked at him, trying her very best to have her most comforting smile on her face, "Kuchiki-Taichou, I need to see to your injuries so that they do not become infected and threaten your life. Will you let me do that, please?" she added with a sterner smile.

Her smile almost faded as she received no response again and she sighed, trying another approach, "Kuchiki-Taichou? Byakuya-san, then, the young man from Sôkyoku Hill, he is-"

"Don't." He said croakily, his voice hoarser than he had previously thought - he barely recognised it as his own, "I don't want to hear it... I don't want to know."

"Not even if I were to tell you that he is _not dead_?" she whispered.

Steel grey eyes flicked up to meet hers, "What?" he breathed in disbelief.

She smiled slightly again, "I was able to resuscitate him, Byakuya-san, he is in a critic condition but he is not dead yet."

He was sat up before she could even blink, his face more alert, and his eyes brighter, yet his body hunched as pain ricocheted across his chest. Her hands reached out and steadied him, forcing him to lay back down so she could begin assessing his injuries, taking it on faith that with the news she had delivered he would now allow her to do so.

"Is he awake?" he asked quietly, his voice still dry and ragged.

"No," she hesitated, "As I said he is in a critical way... He is on life support and has already had two full blood transfusions to replace what he has lost, there is a lot of internal and external damage where he was injured, but I operated on him forty minutes ago to do my best to repair that damage."

"And his... Prognosis is what?"

"The next twenty four hours are essential; if he survives that then I would say he has a greater chance of waking up. But... I cannot promise anything. He is incredibly weak at the moment... And fragile." She explained as she peeled back the torn remnants of the man's haori and kosode to inspect the sword wound in his chest.

"Can I see him?" he questioned.

Hesitating again, the woman began cleaning the afflicted area, "Providing that you promise not stress yourself out like before." She said severely.

"I promise, please, let me see him." Byakuya was close to pleading, and although his pride would normally never allow him to do such a thing... Nothing about this situation was normal.

"... Very well. I will finish cleaning and healing this wound first and then I will take you to see him." She conceded.

"Thank you Unohana-Taichou." He said calmly, at least a fragment of his former self now restored in the wake of their conversation.

Fifteen minutes later, fifteen long minutes, the two exited the plain room; Byakuya was able to walk by himself now but still remained hunched at the shoulders out of instinct to protect himself.

He followed the woman to a section of the hospital which he had never seen before, it was white washed and visibly sterile with glass walls and doors which gave a clear view into each room. There were six in total, and he came to realise that they were in the high dependency ward... What the 'doctors' in the World of the Living called 'Intensive Care' he believed.

So this was where Ichigo had ended up. He looked at Unohana as they came to a stop out of one of the only rooms with the curtains drawn so that the occupant couldn't be seen.

"I must warn you, Byakuya-san, there are a lot of tubes coming in and out of his body, and he has some external bruising which I have been unable to heal so far. Just so that you are aware." She smiled encouragingly at him before she opened the door and gestured for him to step inside.

He dawdled for a second before he nodded once and went into the room, sliding the curtain back just enough to get through he faltered momentarily as he laid eyes on his orange haired companion.

Ichigo had returned completely to his Shinigami form, but his skin was pale with blood loss; and he was marred by dark purple bruises which were littered with no particular design. The tube which protruded from between his lips was securely tapped down and hissed every so often, the only proof aside from the gentle heaving of his chest that he was undeniably still breathing. There were heavy bandages around his stomach, with a slightly darkened patch over the wound he had sustained from Aizen, signifying that the wound was still unhealed and bleeding.

Concern pulsed through him, and suddenly all the energy he had been lacking returned, making him giddy as he staggered forwards, almost lurching over the bed as he rested his hand on the strawberry's forehead and moving the other to grip one of Ichigo's slightly clammier hands tightly.

"Oh by the Soul King..." he breathed, gently combing his fingers against the spiky locks of orange hair, "Don't you ever scare me like that again you son-of-a-bitch. You didn't even let me say it back to you... You go saying things like the 'L' word when you swore you would never be able to and then you go and do something silly like that... When you wake up you are going to pay for it. And I don't mean in a cute and fluffy way. I am going to damn well have you over my desk until you are begging for mercy. You hear me?" he said glibly, his eyes stinging slightly with tears he refused to shed again.

Sinking into the provided chair, he never realised that Unohana had left him alone, his entire attention remained fixed on the young man in the bed before him he never stopped touching him in some way, brushing his hair back or stroking his forehead, cupping his cheek or holding his hand, fondling the back of his fingers with his own or kissing his knuckles.

There was still the overwhelming gush of relief which refused to abate, but there was, of course, concern and panic for his wellbeing. Looking at him now, he could hardly believe that it was the same man who had broken into his office, stolen from his desk and handed evidence over to Aizen Sousuke. This young man looked like broken wreckage, beauty marred by the distorted pigmentation of his skin's haemorrhaging. Yet not so much that he could no longer see his attractiveness, but then, Byakuya was already so far head over heels that it wouldn't matter to him if Ichigo lost an arm or an eye. He would still be handsome to him.

"Oh Byakuya... You bad, bad man." He chuckled to himself at his own thoughts and kissed the back of Ichigo's hand again, "Just keep fighting. I don't care how long it takes you; I don't care if it takes years for you to wake up... Just make sure you do. I'll wait for you. I will... I'm not going to let go of you now that I have got you. If I have to make a deal with the Devil himself to get you back I will. I swore that to you on Sôkyoku Hill... And I keep my promises."

Hours later, he found himself sat in the meeting room of Division One surrounded by his fellow Taichou and Fuku-Taichou, having an urgent meeting.

"So, we are certain that all traitors have been accounted for?" Yamamoto growled from his seat.

"Yes, Sou-Taichou," Soi-Fon responded, nursing a broken wrist from her fight with Grimmjow, "Ichimaru Gin, Kaname Tousen, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques and Aizen Sousuke are the listed offenders. We have found no further ties to anyone else in Soul Society."

Byakuya kept his head bowed, smirking slightly to himself as he considered the mad dash of a job he had done to eradicate evidence of Ichigo's involvement in the whole sordid affair, oh how Yoruichi would be proud of his criminal streak once she found out. Unfortunately she had been roped into doing something for the Head Captain, once he had been convinced that she and Urahara were actually innocent of the crimes they had been exiled over.

The old man nodded slowly, "And what is the condition of Aizen's former subordinate... Kurosaki... Something wasn't it?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya interjected, "He is in a stable condition and has made no signs of either bettering or worsening. The injury Aizen inflicted was brutal and caused a great deal of damage, however, after having worked alongside Kurosaki for some weeks now I believe he has the strength to make a full recovery if he is given the time and motivation to do so."

"And what motivation would that be?"

"The need to protect." He said simply, "Moments before Aizen struck him down Ichigo had morphed into a Hollow, without feelings or thoughts... However when I was threatened, when Abarai-Fuku-Taichou and my sister Rukia were threatened he came to his senses and fought back. He has an overwhelmingly strong second nature, that being the nature to shield the people he cares for."

"Alright, in the debrief it was reported that the boy was able to harm Aizen. Tell me more."

"Indeed, in his anger and need to defend he was able to punch a hole straight through Aizen Sousuke's abdomen, it would have killed him had it not been for the Hogyuku." He sighed momentarily at the memory before he sobered again, "Ichigo has a magnitude of reiatsu which I have never before sensed, having been exposed to the Hogyuku as a child it undoubtedly had more effects on him than merely giving him an Inner Hollow... It is perfectly possible in my mind, and it has been backed up by Urahara Kisuke, that the power of the Hogyuku gave Ichigo strength beyond measure. All he needs is time to train and harness it. When he left Division Five he was half way to gaining a Bankai... We came very close to completing it while he was with me... Once he wakes up I have no doubt it would not take long to finalise it."

"Then that will be your top priority, Kuchiki-Taichou. I want you to make sure he wakes up and when he does, you will train him until he is ready." Yamamoto commanded ruthlessly.

"Ready for what, sir?" he asked innocently, having a gut feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer heading his way.

"War."


	11. Chapter 11

**Here is another chapter, I hope you all enjoy and thank you for the reviews from chapter 10 :)**

**Chapter Eleven:**

Byakuya woke with a jolt to the sound of alarms blaring beside his head; his eyes opened with in a flash as he sat up straighter in the chair and discreetly wiped a small trail of saliva from the corner of his mouth. His eyes fell upon the occupant of the bed he was beside and his heart jumped into his mouth as he saw Ichigo was thrashing and jerking around in the bed, before he fell completely still and the heart monitor flat lined.

At that moment, Unohana rushed into the room, followed by Isane and a small troop of healers; as they tried to make the Sixth Division Captain leave the room the two Captain Class healers began fussing over Ichigo, one using her reiatsu to restart his heart while the other pushed a syringe of adrenaline into his canular.

His mouth dry and his heart stuttering in panic, Byakuya watched as they fought to save the man he loved from dying, again. This had become a more and more familiar occurrence over the past three weeks; Ichigo remained comatose as his body slowly healed from the live threatening injury Aizen had inflicted while his reiatsu dwindled to the lowest Byakuya had ever known it to be. His body might have been healing, but his soul was failing.

As he heard the rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor begin again, he slumped slightly against the wall and released a sigh of relief which was short lived. Unohana dismissed her healers, leaving only herself and Isane in the room with the patient and his Captain.

The stern woman moved slowly to stand beside him, "Kuchiki-Taichou," she greeted, her voice softer than usual.

"Yes?" his own voice was gruff and dry from disuse; he didn't dare lift his gaze to meet hers for fear of what he would see.

"There are only so many times I can revive him, if he does not wake soon I fear we will have o choice but to switch off his life support machine. I am truly sorry." She reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder but retracted it as the man flinched away from her touch.

"I understand, please do what you can."

Byakuya kept his eyes closed until the door shut and he was certain that both Taichou and Fuku-Taichou were gone. It hurt, but he couldn't fall apart in front of a fellow Captain, he could be temporarily removed from duty if he fell apart... And his work was all he had left at that moment in time.

Marching back towards the bed, the nobleman took one of Ichigo's hands in his own and leaned down, "I will be back later, I need to... I need to make some calls, arrange some things... Don't you dare stop fighting." He whispered before he pressed a kiss to the young man's cheek and left the room via the window.

Stopping short of his own Fuku-Taichou's office, Byakuya took a moment to compose himself before he knocked and opened the door, pausing momentarily as he saw Renji was stood by the window, looking out of it morosely.

"Renji," he greeted, "How are you coping?"

The redhead looked around slowly, his eyes slightly puffy from the apparent crying he had done, "Not so good. And you, Taichou?"

"I am calm." He responded before he cleared his throat and walked forwards, "From the reports Unohana has given me it would appear that she cannot keep resuscitating Ichigo, so at some point she is going to want to discuss... Switching off his ventilator. I know he has no family, but you and Rukia are his closest friends so I would like to have you present when the time comes to make that choice."

Renji seemed stunned by the news and choked up for a moment, "But they can't just give up on him... He... He's the strongest person I know..."

"I am aware of that but... If it ends up causing him more suffering to keep him going then would you rather not let him go?" the raven haired man said, forcing the words out.

"I... I suppose so... But I don't believe we can just give up on him!" he protested, "There has to be something we can do! Can't you... Ask Urahara-san?!"

"To do what, Renji? Miracle up some cure to make Ichigo want to live? He hasn't got any drive! He doesn't _want_ to wake up! If he did he would have done so already!" he shouted suddenly, slamming his hand into the chair in front of the other's desk and sending it clattering against the wall.

Panting after his display of temper, Byakuya turned away from his subordinate, both ashamed and embarrassed by his loss of control. He tipped his head back and let out a slow and shaky breath, feeling his eyes sting with the salty water of unshed tears.

"Taichou... It's alright to be upset and angry, if you bottle it up you'll hurt yourself." Renji said quietly, "I'm not saying Urahara-san can cure him, because we don't know if that is possible but anything is worth a go. Maybe the reason Ichigo hasn't woken up is because he is afraid of what he will wake up to. He needs our support. He needs us to believe in him."

Byakuya swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, forcing his tears back, "You are right," he said, his voice stronger, "Urahara and Yoruichi are still in Seireitei as they have been pardoned of their crimes by Sou-Taichou. I will speak to them. Come with me, Renji."

"Yes, sir. That is something I can definitely do." The redhead nodded and headed for his side.

"Good, then let's go." The steel grey eyed male said before he took off in a flash of Shunpo.

Travelling in silence, the two headed for Rukongai where the two former Shinigami had elected to stay for the duration of their visit; they headed for the outskirts of Western Rukongai and kept going until they became immersed in trees and woodland.

It was a good half a mile into the wood before they finally found their destination, a small cottage hidden well among the bushes and undergrowth, disguised to almost perfection.

Byakuya hesitated before he flared his reiatsu to alert them of their arrival and strode forwards confidently; he rapped curtly on the door and waited politely for it to be opened. His eyes fell upon his old Sensei as the door did open and he gave her a nod of the head.

"Is Urahara here?" he asked.

"Yes... Come in Little Byakuya," she smiled and stepped aside for the pair to enter the building.

"It... It is a lovely place you have here Yoruichi-san." Renji said nervously as he saw his Captain's jaw clench.

The purple haired woman chuckled and slung an arm around the redhead, "Thanks Renji, it belonged to a strand of my family about two hundred years ago, but they all died and left the place unoccupied."

"It's very pleasant."

"She is bullshitting you Renji, this place belonged to her and she used to train me here." Byakuya injected without look at the pair as he searched for Urahara.

"Oh..." Renji glanced at the woman and watched her wink suggestively and saunter off after her student, he gulped slightly and followed.

Byakuya stopped as his search ended in the kitchen and saw Urahara eating his dinner, his own stomach protested against the smell of food, having not been fed properly for weeks.

"Byakuya-san, I didn't expect to see you here." The blond announced as he set his fork down and wiped his mouth with a cloth, "What can I do for you?"

"Ichigo's soul is failing his body," he told him, "The number of times his heart has failed is at fifteen, and Unohana is reluctant to continue reviving him. I need a way to save him."

"Straight down to business as always I see..." Urahara breathed and stood up slowly, plopping his hat on his head before he put his plate in the sink, "Well if his soul if failing then there is very little that can be done to save him."

"Don't give me that... I know you can find a way, you always do." The noble argued sharply.

The scientist glanced around at him and sighed, "I understand your attachment to the kid, but once the soul begins to fail there is very few cases where it can repair itself. I am sorry."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT URAHARA! YOU CAN SAVE HIM! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" he yelled suddenly, grabbed the man by the scruff of his green kosode.

"Please calm down, Byakuya-san, violence won't get you anywhere," the blond said tersely, patting the other's hand firmly, "Now please release me."

"NOT UNTIL YOU GIVE ME ANSWERS!" he barked.

Urahara let out a strained breath before he gripped Byakuya's wrist and ducked under his grasp, his hold on the limb making his fingers weaken enough for his clothing to slip free before he twisted the man's arm up behind his back and pinned him to the wall with ease.

Renji stared as his Captain was immobilised so quickly and by a man who had been out of uniform for a long time. He glanced sideways and figured that Yoruichi was the same as Urahara in skill. She caught his stare and smiled slightly before raising an eyebrow.

"Who trained Urahara-san?" he asked her quietly.

"I did of course; he was my Third Seat long before he was my lover..."

"Lover?!" he squeaked.

She let out a peel of laughter, "Yes, my lover. I have only trained three people in my lifetime and they were only people who I deemed worthy of my tutorship. Urahara was the first, then Byakuya and then Soi-Fon."

"Oh... I thought I recognised some of her battle tactics as being similar to the Captains'." He murmured.

"Indeed, my three students learned everything I had to offer, but they put their own spin on things and made the abilities meld with those of their Zanpakto's. Almost complete defence. It is always so much fun when I see two of my students fighting, because they are so similarly matched and yet different at the same time." She chuckled and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

Renji nodded in agreement and looked back at the pair, "You all have the same fluidity in your movements... Like water."

"Exactly," she grinned, "Of course, only Soi-Fon knows how to do Shunko, because only her reiatsu was sufficient for the task."

"Huh, figures... The lightning would probably interfere with Taichou's flowers."

Yoruichi laughed loudly at that, "Oh the mental images..."

Urahara waited until Byakuya's reiatsu had mellowed before he finally released him and backed up, "Byakuya-san... You should know better than to attack out of anger, that behaviour will get you killed you know."

"I know... But if he dies I have nothing left so what does it matter?" he muttered as he tried to repair his bruised pride.

"I see... So you feel that strongly for him?" he sighed as he received a nod in response and turned his back on the nobleman for a moment, "Very well... There may be one way to help him but it is dangerous and may take your own life if you are not carefully."

"What? What is it?" Byakuya asked instantly, rubbing his wrist.

"I developed a Kidou to allow one soul into another. At the moment, Ichigo's soul is either stuck, trapped or lost in his Inner World, I would be sending you into his Inner World to find him and recover him. Only then will his soul begin to heal." He explained, "However, if he dies while your souls are connected you will die as well, with no chance of recovery at all."

The nobleman swallowed visibly before he looked downwards, "I... I cannot sit back and allow him to die, he doesn't deserve that... He deserves someone to fight for him for once in his life!" he looked back up at the blond man, "Please... _Help me_ Urahara Kisuke."

Urahara hesitated for several long minutes and considered it, "Byakuya, you have to consider the ramifications if you die... Your house, your Division..."

"I trust my sister to run the Clan to the best of her ability, and Renji would make a sublime Captain. I believe in them and if I die, I will be content to do so." He said quietly, looking into the man's eyes pleadingly.

"I..." Urahara swallowed hard before he nodded once, "Very well. Go to Division Four, inform Unohana and I will meet you there. Make sure you are ready for anything you may face while you are in his mind Byakuya-san, his Inner Hollow for one."

"I will not fail him." Byakuya said in certainty before he turned and left without so much as a glance in Renji or Yoruichi's direction.

The purple haired woman herself turned to Kisuke, "You _can't_ do that Kisuke... You _can't_ send him into his Inner World!"

"He has made his peace Yoruichi-san... It has to be his choice."

"No! You can't let him do this! He'll die!" she exclaimed.

The blond walked over slowly and cupped her face in his hand, "He'll die anyway if Ichigo does. Better him to die trying than to die lying down."

She turned from him, her usual mockery absent as concern overwhelmed her, "I... I need some air." She told the two remaining men before she disappeared.

Renji watched the exchange in confusion, "W-What was that about? She seemed ready to cry..." he said in bewilderment.

Urahara sighed heavily, "I first created the technique when her brother-in-law was attacked by Hollows and was almost killed. He was unconscious for six weeks before his soul began to give out... So Yoruichi-san's sister went into his Inner World to reclaim him but his heart failed and he died while her soul was still in his... So they both died."

"Y-Yoruichi-san had a sister?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, Suzuki, she was six years younger than Yoruichi-san but every bit as kind and gifted. It was Suzuki who first began to develop Shunko, she taught Yoruichi how to do it..." he looked down, "She took it very hard when her sister died; she turned to drink and almost killed herself when she drank herself into oblivion. Her sister was her world and there was nothing I could say or do to console her. I felt like a murderer for what I had allowed to happen..."

Renji swallowed, "Have the two of you been lovers for a long time then?"

"Since we were sixteen," he chuckled, "Her father went mad when he found out she was being courted by a commoner."

"I bet he did... But you seem like you are good for her. You're an odd couple but... If you are happy what does it matter?" he smiled slightly before he sighed, "I'd best go after Taichou..."

"See you shortly." He agreed.

Half an hour later, Byakuya looked around as the door to Ichigo's room opened and revealed Urahara and Yoruichi, his stomach fluttered with anxiety but he pushed it to one side.

"Are you ready, Byakuya-san?" the blond asked.

"Yes, are you sure you can do this?" he asked.

Urahara nodded slowly, seeing Yoruichi's pained expression, "Absolutely, please get on the bed next to Ichigo-san and place your head against his."

The raven haired nobleman removed his haori and climbed onto the bed beside his lover; he rested an arm around his waist and rested his head on his shoulder, making sure that their heads touched. He watched as Urahara approached and closed his eyes, waiting silently for their Inner Worlds to merge so that he could save the strawberry.

"With our minds as one, our hearts as one, our souls as one, I command the void to be opened and our worlds to combine, let the darkness which fills our hearts be eradicated in the presence of each other, and let our spirits become one. Byakudo 101: Mind Merger."

A bright blue-white light filled the room from his clasped hands before it faded out again, and as he looked over at the bed he saw that Byakuya had fallen into a deep slumber, their reiatsu mingled slightly as the Kidou took over and did its job.

"Good luck Byakuya-san." He breathed before he turned to his partner and put an arm around her as she trembled gently.


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter is HUGE, I have never written one as big as this so I commend you if you read it. I feel I should say that I couldn't have written this without listening to "Gollum's Song" from Lord of the Rings, if you haven't heard the song then here are the lyrics, I hope you agree that it suits Ichigo and this chapter perfectly: . **

**PLEASE review on this chapter like never before, I would really like to know what you think of it, it was a monumental task, and I am still unsure whether or not I got it right. I look forward to reading your comments :)**

**Chapter Twelve:**

Byakuya groaned as he woke up; looking around he realised that he was in Ichigo's hospital room and he opened his mouth to snap at Urahara because his blasted Kidou hadn't worked. But he faltered and frowned as he found himself alone in the room, glancing back towards the bed he found that Ichigo was nowhere to be seen either.

The nobleman climbed off the bed, his stomach lurching as the room spun on its head, colours flashing before his eyes and sounds of distantly shouting voices echoing in his ears, making him lift his hands and press them over his sensitive shells to try and block the sound.

He let out a dry retch as the room ceased its oscillation, he found himself standing on the ceiling, gravity seemingly having abated somewhere along the way as his hair remained neatly hanging around his shoulders despite his stance.

Swallowing his breakfast back down, the raven haired man took a tentative step forwards, half expecting to plummet back to the ground and break a bone or two upon impact. However, when he found that he was able to walk without falling, he took a few more steps to gather his almost shattered confidence; finally making his way to the door he leaned down and slid it open before taking a cautious step outside.

The hallways was deserted, but something seemed off about it all, it was like a thin veil was obscuring his vision and he couldn't quite see without a mist gently blurring the edges of everything around him; and from what he could see it was like he had stepped into a photograph from the eighteen hundreds, everything looked black and white, much unlike what he was used to.

Walking slowly along the ceiling of the corridor, he glanced around to see if he could catch sight of anyone familiar. It was hard to believe the place was deserted, even if he was inside Ichigo's mind, for he had considered the facts and come to the conclusion that perhaps Urahara's Kidou had worked and he was now wandering the tresses of the broken strawberry's Inner World.

He needed to be swift, but cautious, every Shinigami's Inner World had natural defences to protect itself from intruders, and it would hinder him greatly if he stumbled into one of these traps.

Byakuya found himself approaching Unohana's office, the door was open, unlike the others he had seen on his travels. Closing his eyes, he could hear voices and rambunctious laughter from inside the room; he was certain he had never heard Unohana laugh let alone laugh so freely. Hurrying the last few steps he wrenched the door open and stepped inside.

A grunt escaped him as he hit the floor with a thud, feeling one of his fingers bend backwards under the pressure and break; he let out a whine but compartmentalised the pain to the back of his mind as he slowly sat up and frowned deeply as he looked around.

This was not Unohana's office. This was someone's front room. It was a large and spacious room with several large couches and two coffee tables, there was a huge bookshelf which filled an entire alcove in the corner of the room. The walls were wooden, with the traditional Japanese style paper sections for doors; there was also a comfortably sized bay window which looked out onto a giant garden, fitted with a water feature and acres of trees and flowers.

For some reason this scene was... Familiar to him but he couldn't figure out where he had seen it before. It brought a frown to his face, as well as a small pout of his lips.

Picking himself up off the floor and dusting himself off, Byakuya bent his finger back into place and grunted very quietly as pain jolted up his hand as it crunched back into place. Letting out a controlled breath, he looked around as the room changed again; he blinked as he found himself immersed in people.

His grey eyes went wide as he realised who the people were and his breath stuck in his throat, he watched as Kūkaku Shiba sauntered passed him; dragging her idiot brother Ganju behind her by the ear. They were both a lot younger, Kūkaku still had both arms and she was dressed differently while Ganju was merely a teenager by the looks of him; his eyebrows weren't as busy and he was a lot thinner, not unhealthily so, but more taut and toned.

He glanced around as he heard a familiar voice and saw Kaien, former Fuku-Taichou of Division Thirteen, walking over from by the bookshelf; his wife Miyako was at his side and on his shoulders was a young boy, no older than three or four, with a shock of orange hair and warm chestnut eyes.

Byakuya felt his heart jump as he came to recognise Ichigo, he was so young and small, he seemed so at peace; he was laughing and pulling on his relative's hair as he was carried around the room.

Looking around, he saw a man with spiky black hair lounging on one of the couches with his arm slung around the petite shoulders of a pretty woman with spice coloured hair which wasn't dissimilar to Ichigo's, her face was heart shaped and her eyes were warm, like a summer's day. Was this Ichigo's mother and father? The woman was clearly pregnant, she wasn't huge yet, but she was certainly showing a baby bump beneath the cardigan she was wearing.

He now knew where he was, he was in the midst of the Shiba Clan's original home before they had been ousted, but the question he was burning to ask was why Ichigo was present... How did Ichigo even know these people? So far this journey was giving him more questions than answers, and he couldn't see how he was any closer to find the real Ichigo.

About to turn his back and leave through the door, he heard a small voice and someone tugged on his kosode; he turned slowly and looked down, faltering as he saw the three year old Ichigo standing by him, looking up at him with those big brown eyes.

"Don't leave me."

Swallowing hard, Byakuya looked up, frowning as it seemed no one else could see him or hear their exchange; the nobleman crouched down slowly and looked at the younger Ichigo, "I'm not leaving you, I'm trying to find you." He said gently.

"But I'm right here... You don't have to find me..." the child pouted.

"Yes I do, because you are in danger and I need to help you but... I can't seem to navigate this place properly... I don't know where to find you... Your heart." He kept his tone light so as not to scare him.

Ichigo cocked his head to the side, "It is like a maze! You have to follow the path and solve the puzzles!" he said with a large smile.

Byakuya was momentarily dazzled by the child's absolute innocence, he seemed so very different to the Ichigo he knew, so unhurt and untouched, pure and honest, "What puzzles?" he asked.

"I shouldn't really tell you..." he said with a frown, "But... I will! It is like a game! A big game inside my head! I love games you know."

"I didn't know that..." he paused as the boy seemed to get distracted and reached out, resting a hand on his orange tresses, "What's the game?"

"Well there are different levels... And you have to go through each one in order to reach me. Sometimes you have to solve a puzzle, sometimes you have to fight something... But you can't go backwards, you have to keep moving forwards." The boy told him, glancing around as someone called his name, "Bye bye mister."

"I'll be seeing you soon, Ichigo." The nobleman promised quietly as he saw the child turn and run back across the room into the arms of his waiting mother.

Byakuya stood back up slowly and frowned heavily as it seemed that the child version of Ichigo couldn't see him anymore. Still slightly bemused by everything that was around him, the noble turned to find another exit, considering that he couldn't go backwards.

That was when he saw a broken tile laying on a desk top. The tile was dark green, he could see small white fragmented letters and lines on each broken piece and he wondered if this was one of the 'puzzles' he had been informed about.

He walked over steadily and leaned over so that he could see the spread out remains; he was good at piecing things back together so this sort of puzzle was right up his street. Glancing over the article he started off by putting together the edges so that he could work from the outside in.

As he put bits together in the right place, they seemed to repair and seal up so that the cracks faded and allowed him to properly read what was written. He seemed to work from the top to the bottom, it was a slow process, and every so often he felt niggling of frustration that he wasn't able to do it much faster. It wasn't exactly the most detailed puzzle he had ever done.

As he reached about halfway down the tile, he found that he was recognising names, and he realised soon after that he was piecing together the Shiba family tree. Confusion returned and he found himself ever more bemused than before, or that was the case until he filled in the bottom of the family tree.

A gasp escaped his lips as he watched the final segments merge together to show the name at the bottom, it was Ichigo... He was a Shiba. He was a nobleman! Why had he never told him?!

He then realised that Ichigo probably couldn't even remember, he knew that some of the young man's memories had returned by not all of them, some of his life was probably still missing. Pity coursed through him, as well as anger towards the man responsible.

Lifting his gaze, Byakuya flinched as something flew at his face; he retreated hastily and tried to swat it away, faltering as it disappeared in a plume of silver smoke which wafted over his face and faded away.

"What the-" he broke off and looked around; the Shiba house was gone now. He was somewhere else; he was outside, in a field. The grass was growing tall; it was up to his waist and the pollen made his nose itch.

He padded through the tall grass, letting his hand reach out and brush against the stems as he passed them, peering out he saw that he was approaching a large patch which had been flattened and as he got closer he saw that there was a large tartan blanket laid out, with a hamper of food and wine set in the corner.

A frown formed on his face as he saw two people were laid back on the blanket, they were in their late teens; one had dark brown hair and lightly tanned skin, he was wearing a white suit, the jacket of which was resting behind the head of the other teen. Orange hair once again made Ichigo easy to spot.

What was confusing was the fact that he was certain the brunet was Aizen, but why would they be here? And why would Ichigo be looking so relaxed and happy?

Byakuya's jaw clenched as he saw Aizen lean down, growling under his breath as the pair shared a passionate kiss; unable to help himself the nobleman strode forwards and cleared his throat.

"Ichigo." He said firmly, "What are you doing?" he was relieved when it seemed both of the people could see and hear him, unlike in the previous situation.

"Kuchiki-Taichou... What are you doing here?" the teenage Ichigo asked as he sat up, his cheeks burning from being caught.

"Never mind that, what are you doing here with him?" he asked, gesturing to Aizen.

The strawberry spluttered for a moment, "I'm spending the day with my boyfriend... What's so wrong with that?"

"Don't you remember me Ichigo?" Byakuya said as he stepped closer, "_I_ am your partner, not that man... He's betrayed you remember? He used you and discarded you when you were of no further use to him... Try to remember... Fight it Ichigo."

"Ignore him, baby," Aizen purred, pulling Ichigo closer to him, "He's merely jealous... He can never understand you the way I do. Forget him, he's not important."

The raven haired man stepped forwards again, "This is a trick, Ichigo, you must break free of it to realise the truth."

Looking from one man to the other, Ichigo struggled and pulled away from the brunet, "Stop it..." he said quietly, "I... I'm so confused..." he rubbed his forehead.

"Baby, you don't need to fret, he's just trying to steal you from me." Aizen said and tried to pull him close again.

"No!" the strawberry pushed him away suddenly and ran away, fading from view.

Aizen turned to look at Byakuya, his eyes blazing with anger, "Who are you to interrupt?! He was mine!"

"He was never yours... You never wanted him, what are you even doing here you-" he broke off as he was blinded by a flash of light and when he could finally see again he found himself staring at a surprisingly beautiful Hollow.

The Hollow was feminine in its body form, with curves and bumps in all the correct places, its face was delicate and angelic, but at the same time the empty golden eyes in its sockets were unnerving and spooky. Apparently, the fact that the Hollow was naked was meant to distract one from its eyes.

"What are you?" Byakuya asked in a whisper.

"I am his desires..." the Hollow purred, its voice was like music to his ears and he felt himself wanting to listen, "I am a Hollow of Desire..."

"I've never heard of a Hollow of Desire before..." he frowned.

She strutted closer to him, running her long fingers against his cheek, "That's because the Shinigami are fools... Aizen-sama created me and my seven brothers and sisters."

"Seven brothers and sisters?" he repeated, so far unfazed by her advances.

"Seven Hollows, for Seven Deadly Sins..."

He paused and considered it for a moment, "Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Envy, Gluttony, and... Ah, of course, you must be Lust."

She smiled at him, "Clever boy... Another of my siblings resides in the boys' mind, chipping away at him just as I was... Until you came along and broke my spell."

"So this never actually happened... It's a fallacy. Does he desire Aizen Sousuke then?" he asked, hoping that it wasn't the case.

"No... He desires to be needed, and Aizen-sama needed his help to complete his plans... He doesn't have a purpose anymore... He isn't needed..." she sighed and trailed her fingers down his face slowly, tracing the outline of his lips, "But you took him from me, I should kill you for that."

"No, my dear Desire, I should kill you for trying to take him from me." He told her, firing a low level Kidou through her abdomen, "He is needed. By _me_, and I intend to remind him of that. So we won't need you anymore."

He let her drop to the ground, watching as she slowly melted into the grassy floor. He wiped his cheek where she had touched him and cringed before he began walking in the same direction that Ichigo had fled towards.

He still wasn't ready for it when the world flipped upside down; he muttered several curse words under his breath as he found himself in a new location again, but quickly fell quiet.

It was a smaller room than the one from the Shiba household, but it was still well adorned in furniture and possessions, he walked forwards a little way and tilted his head his head as he saw two young girls sitting at the dining room table studying while their slightly elder brother stood at their backs giving them pointers.

And of course, the elder brother was Ichigo, his hair was scruffier than Byakuya had seen, it was longer and even spikier if possible, he was young, around nine or ten perhaps. He was smiling slightly as one of the girls looked up at him; she looked very vulnerable, with big brown eyes like Ichigo's and a small kind face. Her hair was light brown while the other girl's was black. A sigh left his lips as he realised that these were Ichigo's little sisters, Karin and Yuzu.

Byakuya looked around as Isshin and Masaki came into the room, the goofy man held up a back of what smelled like takeaway and hurried up to the table with the bag and set it down amongst the paper work his young daughters were working on.

The family sat down to eat shortly after; Byakuya closed his eyes as he listened to the banter they exchanged, chuckling to himself as he heard Ichigo shouting at his father, calling him 'Goat Face' it appeared to be an affectionate term as the black haired girl used it as well.

He looked around as the door opened suddenly and his eyes narrowed as he saw Aizen in the doorway, he was smirking as he strode forwards, calling out to the older Kurosaki male.

Isshin was on his feet in a heartbeat, his Zanpakto drawn from its place at his side as he felt a heavy threat descend over his household. He shouted at Masaki to take the children and leave, but the woman instead ushered her children into the kitchen before she threw a long bow, her own Zanpakto, from the counter and aimed a reiatsu arrow at the intruder.

"Now, is that any way to treat a visitor?" Aizen asked, still smirking as he watched the two Shinigami threatening him with their weaponry.

"You are no mere visitor, and they do not generally walk into your home uninvited." Isshin growled in response, "What are you doing here? What are you after?"

The brunet chuckled slightly and his hand dipped into his pocket, "You both have such incredible reiatsu... I find myself in need of skilled help and I wouldn't be averse about offering both of you a position beside me."

"What are you talking about?" Masaki asked, her usual carefree smile gone.

"How about I show you?"

Aizen's hand flew from his pocket and opened, the Hogyuku rising from his palm and firing swirling light towards the pair before him. His eyes narrowed and his lips parted as he waited to see what they would become, however his breath hitched and his sense of success ended abruptly as a flash of ginger shot in front of his sight and flung itself in front of the two adults.

"ICHIGO!" Isshin roared, catching his eldest child as he was hit in the chest by the light given off by the glass ball, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON?!"

The brunet stared for a moment, tipping his head to the side before he snatched the Hogyuku from the air and pocketed it again, "How unexpected." He breathed before he took several hasty steps back as the boy's reiatsu exploded around them.

An ear piercing scream was torn from the young boy's lips as his skin paled instantly, being crushed by his own enormous reiatsu as it bounced off the walls, and piled around him like a mountain.

Byakuya winced and narrowly dodged being hit in the chest by a spear of reiatsu, moving into the shadows to observe what happened next, it made sense to him that this was the night Ichigo lost his memories, and his emotions; he must have been deep inside of his mind now because Ichigo couldn't remember this night very well, he could only recall what happened afterwards.

White foam began to pour from Ichigo's mouth, covering his face and suffocating him; his body was jerking and thrashing around as he tried to fight with the solidifying froth. It began to spread down his shoulders and arms, creating great talons around his fingers.

Aizen's eyes were dancing with pride at this accidental miracle. The boy's reiatsu was simply delectable, he wanted this child, he wanted him, and he would have him, "Child... Attack." He commanded.

Ichigo's body stiffened at the sound of his voice; his bone covered face turning towards the source before he flew up onto his feet, getting smacked in the face by a hammer of reiatsu which caused several dents to form in the facial cover, revealing the imprint of his nose and eyes, before it shattered and revealed his nostrils and eyeballs. His irises were a magnificent gold shade.

"Attack." Aizen said again as the newly Hollowfied child looked at him with a cocked head.

"Ichigo?" Isshin asked, his voice breaking in pain as he looked at what his son was becoming, "Son? Can you hear me?"

"Ichi?" Masaki cried, rushed across the void of flooring between her and her son with her arms open wide, wanting to embrace and bring him back to her.

Blood sprayed the room, talons cleaving through flesh and bone, there was no feeling and no recognition anymore; Masaki fell to the ground, her chest cleaved open to reveal the empty cavity where her heart should have been, the heart which was now firmly stuck on the tips of her son's claw like fingers as he turned towards his father.

A Hollow roar shattered the silence before he attacked Isshin, unable to distinguish him, no longer knowing his face as he chopped his talons across the man's abdomen, scarlet blood spewing from the deep wound which wrenched a howl from the man. He knew he had to stop his son, even if he didn't want to, "Getsuga Tenshou!" he yelled, bringing an arch of light down towards his son.

Ichigo disappeared in a flash of Sonido, reappearing behind the man and sinking his fangs into his shoulder and ripping the skin off the bone. He brought him down with no more than three attacks, killing him without remorse.

He was rampant, tearing through the house like a rabid animal; he slaughtered anything that moved, including the family cat and his two sweet sisters. And when he was done, he came to stand in front of Aizen covered in blood and grime, but suddenly calm and collected.

The brunet reached out, wiping some of the blood from his Hollow mask before he cupped his cheek, "You've done well, my goodness you have done far better than I imagined possible. But you are not quite complete yet, I need you to grow, I need you to get even stronger before I can seat you at my side. Be patient... And I will come to you."

Byakuya's heart was in absolute overdrive from what he had witnessed as Ichigo's Hollow shell shattered and the boy slumped on the ground among the corpses and the blood. He swallowed hard as Aizen disappeared and he longed to run forwards and take the child in his arms, to comfort him and stop him from becoming the emotionless wreckage he knew he had.

He couldn't believe that Ichigo had been the one who had killed his family, even if it was at the behest of Aizen holding his leash like a dog owner. If Ichigo ever remembered this it would shatter him.

"I remember."

Byakuya looked around as he heard a strangely watery and reptilian voice and he found himself looking at Ichigo, he was fully grown and was just the way he remembered him except that... His hair and skin were white like snow and his eyes were golden with black sclera. Who was this?

"What do you mean?" he asked, forcing his voice to sound steady.

"I remember tonight, so much clearer than the King does." The same watery voice escaped from between his white lips and revealed a pointed blue tongue, "He remembers the blood and corpses. He can't remember anything from before it, only tiny flashes of voices and scents..."

"This was the reason he lost his memories and his emotions, am I right?" the nobleman asked.

"Yeah," he nodded slowly and sighed, "He was so isolated and alone, he couldn't remember if he had any family; he couldn't remember how to feel or how to smile; he even had to learn how to talk again... He was forced into foster care with a family, he hated it... And as soon as he was able to go to Shino he went. He met Renji, Rukia, Kira, Hinamori, Hisagi... People who should have been able to help him but couldn't. He had no emotions, he couldn't trust; he couldn't love... He could only _do_ and _act_. His smiles had no truth behind them, his eyes were cold... But they never gave up on him."

"Who are you?" Byakuya asked quietly.

The albino Ichigo's face snapped around to observe him, "I caused this," he raised his hands and made a sweeping motion towards the corpses and the cowering child, "I am the power Aizen gave him... The power which corrupted him... I am his Hollow side."

The raven haired man frowned faintly, sensing grief in his voice, "You sound... Sad."

The Hollow turned from him and walked towards the corpse of Isshin, "I am the reason his life was turned upside down... I murdered these people because my master ordered it of me..."

"Aizen is not your master-"

"He _created_ me!" he barked, "He gave me LIFE! He gave me PURPOSE! I was his pupil and he was my master! I could not refuse him... I could not refuse anything he wanted..."

He watched as the Hollow's shoulders slumped and he walked forwards, resting a hand on his shoulder, "It wasn't your fault."

"How can you say that? You have seen what I have done? That which Ichigo and I make together... How can you still care?" the albino asked as he turned and looked around at him.

"Because I love him." He said without a second thought.

"And could you love me?" he asked, stepping closer, "I could rip your heart out and eat it without feeling anything."

"I don't think you could," he said quietly, reaching up and brushing the Hollow's cheek, "When we were on Sôkyoku Hill you could have killed me... But you didn't, in fact you stopped Aizen from killing me. You hurt yourself to stop him from ending my life. Why?"

Faltering slightly, the Hollow allowed himself to nuzzle the hand touching his face, "I am... Part of Ichigo... I share his feelings when he has them and he... He loves you."

Understanding slightly, Byakuya nodded slowly, "So you love me as well?"

"Yes..." he swallowed, "But I am dangerous, my instinct is to hunt and kill... You are not safe."

"I am a Taichou, my life is rarely safe." He shrugged, "I love him, and you are a part of him so... I love you as well. I feel no differently towards you than I do him... Even after seeing this..." he looked at the room and sighed, "I just want to help him."

They stood in silence for a moment before the Hollow leaned in and rested his head against the nobleman's chest, "You can call me Shirosaki, Aizen did not name me but that is what I want to be known as."

"Then, it is a pleasure to meet you Shirosaki, my name is Kuchiki Byakuya." He smiled and gently stroked the Hollow's soft white locks.

"Nice to meet you too." He said quietly, closing his eyes and relaxing.

Byakuya felt his gut lurch as their surroundings changed again, this time his companion didn't leave him; Shirosaki travelled with him as they found themselves in what looked like a castle prison. They could hear insane laughter in the distance and it made Shirosaki shudder and recoil closer into the warm chest of his lover.

The pair parted after a few moments and glanced around, not seeing anyone else near them they followed a curving pathway which steadily darkened the further they went. All light seemed to fade until they were led onwards my torch light alone.

The flickering silhouettes of their shadows on the stone walls made Byakuya tense, he felt like he was being followed or watched and he didn't like it. He held up a hand and stopped Shirosaki from taking another step forward.

"In there." He breathed as he looked towards the barred door ahead of them; cautiously putting one foot in front of the other he moved closer, pushing the gate like door open and cringing as it made a horrible creaking noise as the rust ground together.

Darkness filled the room beyond, but it didn't stop Byakuya as he took the Hollow's hand and led him into the room slowly; they both spun on the spot as the door slammed shut and the room was flooded with light, blinding them both.

"He was so sure you would come for him." A deep voice said from near the wall.

Byakuya looked up slowly, squinty slightly as he made out the form of a giant Hollow, both wide and tall with viscous looking horns and spikes on his knees and elbows.

"Beware." Shirosaki said quietly, "This is a powerful Hollow... Stronger than the Desire Hollow you encountered earlier."

"How do you know about that?" the noble asked.

"All these segments of Inner World are connected, I have been following you in case you needed me." He shrugged.

"Oh... Thanks." He smiled weakly before he looked back at the Hollow, "Desire told me another of her siblings resides here... What are you?"

The Hollow rumbled out a laugh, "My sibling has a big mouth and she is a slut... But she told the truth, I am Pride. A sin you are well acquainted with Kuchiki Byakuya."

Slightly ruffled, the man stepped forwards, "My pride comes in measurability of my abilities, I do not have pride without cause."

"But it is pride none the less, a sin in the eyes of the faithful," the goliath creature took thundering steps forward and crouched down to look at him, stanching breath blowing over his face, "I will never surrender the boy. I want his power. And you, Hollow, you abandoned him."

Shirosaki growled, "I am always here, I have never abandoned him... Be gone devil, there is room enough for only one Hollow in his World."

"You will have to kill me if you desire me gone."

Byakuya barely had time to fling himself out of the way as a massive hand slapped down where he had been stood and almost squashed him into jelly. He panted slightly and drew his Zanpakto, "Scatter Senbonzakura!" he exclaimed before he stopped and stared as nothing happened, "What..."

"It doesn't work here! This is Ichigo's Inner World, not yours!" Shiro exclaimed as he dodged and dived out of the way of the Pride Hollow.

"Then what am I meant to fight with?!" the nobleman exclaimed.

"Me!"

"What?"

His eyes widened momentarily as he watched Shirosaki beginning to glow before he disappeared, only to return in the form of a white sword stuck in the ground.

Byakuya glanced at the Hollow before he swore and sprinted forwards, diving forwards at the same time as the Hollow; he gasped as his fingers wrapped around the hilt and he slashed it upwards, carving a deep line through the Hollow's chest grunting as he hit the ground and held the sword up, impaling the great creature through the head as it fell.

He coughed hard as as he was drowned in dust and panted hard, feeling trickles of sweat and blood on his face from a graze he had sustained. Feeling dazed, he closed his eyes, everything hurt; he felt like he had been in a marathon. Feeling cold fingers touch his cheek, Byakuya opened his eyes and smiled weakly as he saw Shirosaki leaning over him with a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you hurt?" the Hollow asked.

"Just a bump to the head. I am sure it will heal." He replied, "How did you turn into a Zanpakto? You looked like Zangetsu, except that you were white..."

"Now that I exist here, Zangetsu and I are in co-existence. He is at Ichigo's side wherever he is... While I am here with you. I am a source of power for Ichigo, if he chooses to use it when this is over, so I can transform into a sword at will."

"That would make sense." He murmured and muttered his thanks as he was helped to his feet.

They looked at each other for a moment before there was a loud rumbling and the room crumbled around them, revealing a tranquil blue sky over head, glistening with white fluffy clouds. Shirosaki made a noise of acknowledgment and looked around.

"This is it!" he exclaimed and set off at a jog.

"What do you mean? What is it?" Byakuya asked as he followed after him.

"This is Ichigo's Inner World! The places we have visited were protective barriers, but we passed through them so we were able to reach the central segment... This is where Ichigo will be!" the albino responded.

"The puzzles... That's what his child form said..."

"Exactly. Come on we don't have a lot of time."

They ran side by side, heading towards a massive glowing orb which hung in the centre of the city scene they had entered, huge skyscrapers reached up towards the sky, but of course there were no people present, this was Ichigo's place. His little world.

As the pair drew closer, Byakuya began to sense Ichigo's reiatsu and hope flooded his senses like a tsunami; thee two came to a stop as they reached the embankment where the orb hung and slowly, Ichigo became clear to see, curled in a foetal position in the centre of the orb, he was sleeping.

"So, you have made it back here Hollow, why am I not surprised? You continue to show up like a bad smell." A voice far older and wiser sounded from their right.

The noble and the Hollow looked around and found themselves looking at a man dressed in a black cape, standing on a thin black pole; he had long wavy brown hair and some stubble on his chin and jawbones; his eyes were concealed behind dark sunglasses and he had his hands in his pockets.

"Zangetsu!" the Hollow growled, "You will not keep me from him! He is as much mine as he is yours! If you have a problem, then take it up with Aizen!"

"You will corrupt him as you have done every single time!" the older man snapped back, "I will not lose him to that blasted Hollowfication process... You will not destroy him!"

"I don't want to destroy him! I want to be a part of him and give him power the same as you do!" the albino cried out, balling his fists at his sides.

Zangetsu stepped down from his perch and touched down on the ground, "If you want him... You will have to fight me for him."

"What? Are you nuts?"

The Zanpakto soul turned and drew his perch from the ground, revealing the black version of his sword form, "I am deadly serious."

The two flew at each other, Shirosaki summoned his white sword at his side and they pair met in a flurry of sparks. Byakuya watched for a moment before he looked at Ichigo's sleeping form and made a run for it, he winced as he passed through the bubble of reiatsu and began climbing the scaffolding which was helpfully placed just under Ichigo's body.

Scrambling up the metal frame work, he almost fell as Zangetsu and Shirosaki flew passed him, sword clanging loudly and powerfully. He swallowed his nerves back and continued climbing with diligence.

He breathed heavily through his nose as he reached the top, resting his hands on his knees as he recovered his strength and walked towards the end of the wooden platform, Ichigo was hovering just within reach at the end, and he was going to pull him to safety.

Licking his dry lips, Byakuya made the last tentative step towards the edge before his breath was snatched from his lungs as the beam of wood he was stood on tipped up, and sent him flying. His arms flew out and he grabbed hold of Ichigo, letting out a startled wail as they fell towards the ground together. All that he could think of at that moment was protecting what was his heart's desire; so he turned their bodies so that his back was to the ground and moments later he collided, protecting Ichigo from the brunt of the impact.

Gasping through clenched teeth as he felt his bones shattering, Byakuya's arms went limp around Ichigo, and his head exploded in pain. But none of that mattered, because it was at that moment that Ichigo's beautiful chestnut eyes flickered and opened.

They stared at each other for a moment before Ichigo leaned down and captured the nobleman's lips with his own. The kiss was sweet and sensual, and Byakuya felt his bones healing slowly... Of course, he couldn't die from brute force inside someone's mind. He could only be stabbed, strangled, poisoned, and suffocated... Handy.

"Byakuya... Is it really you?" Ichigo asked quietly.

"Yes... I told you Ichigo, I would come and get you if you went to Hell, and quite frankly, this has been a bloody hellish place." He responded.

"You cussed."

"Yes I did, and I will do a darn sight more once I get the feeling back in my arms and legs." He muttered.

The strawberry giggled slightly before he looked up as Shirosaki and Zangetsu approached the two of them. Both men looked in bad shape, both baring cuts and bruises, bloodstains and dirt stains. But they both looked more concerned for Ichigo than themselves.

"Old Man, what's going on?" Ichigo asked the Zanpakto.

"I... Believe this gentleman came into your Inner World to try and save your life. Your soul was in flux and was failing... You were dying." The other responded.

"Shiro... Why are you here?"

The albino shuffled on the spot, "Because I want to protect you, and give you the power to win..."

"Shirosaki has been most helpful in getting me to you, Ichigo," Byakuya murmured, "Trust him. He is loyal to you."

"I don't know... He's a Hollow..."

"And he is a part of you now, you have to accept him or you will never fully accept yourself." The noble said firmly.

"You're right... Of course you are right... I can't doubt him when he is part of who I am..." Ichigo stood up with some assistance before Byakuya was helped to his feet as well, "How do we get out of here?"

Reaching out, Byakuya touched Ichigo's face, "This is your Inner World, and you are in control."

The strawberry turned his face and kissed the palm of Byakuya's hand; he nodded once and closed his eyes in concentration. Out of the corner of his eye, Byakuya saw Zangetsu and Shirosaki fade out before the rest of the city scene followed suit.

With a jolt he felt like the ground and dropped out from beneath his feet and he saw up panting and sweating, looking around frantically before he was shoved back down on the bed by Yoruichi.

"Welcome back Little Byakuya." The purple haired woman grinned.

Byakuya blinked a couple of times before it registered what was going on and he looked at Ichigo, his heart feeling lifted as he saw a pair of chestnut eyes looking back at him.


	13. Chapter 13

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**Chapter Thirteen: Images of the Past:**

Ichigo looked over his shoulder as he felt soft fingers trailing down his back; offering a wistful smile as he saw that his lover was looking at him with a sleepy expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"Yeah," he nodded, "Just thinking about stuff."

The nobleman tipped his head slightly, "Like what?"

He shrugged, "What Aizen might be planning... Whether or not I can keep you safe..." he glanced down before he laid back beside the man, taking his one of his hands in his and entwining their fingers, "If I lost you... I'm not sure I would want to carry on living." He mumbled.

"You aren't going to lose me, Ichigo you are stuck with me now." Byakuya murmured, gently squeezing his hand before he leaned in and kissed a chaste kiss on his lips.

The strawberry returned the kiss and dropped his head down onto the pillows, "I still can't get used to this... Waking up next to you every day and going to bed with you every night... It's not something I ever believed I would do with someone."

Smiling, Byakuya chuckled and kissed the back of his knuckles, "I never believed I was capable of loving after I lost Hisana, but you proved me wrong and I am glad of it. We may be a little dysfunctional and have some issues but... Well, I love you."

"And I you," he said, a faint spattering of blush on his face, "And Shiro says so too."

The nobleman laughed, "Well, as I told him when we met, he is a part of you and I love you; that means every bit of you."

"Are you going to tell your family about 'us'?" he asked after a moment.

Byakuya faltered and looked down for a moment, he sighed softly before he looked back at him, "Please don't think I am ashamed of you, because I'm not... Not in the slightest, however my family are very... I am trying to think of a polite and educated way to say it, but to be perfectly blunt with you they have their noses up their own backsides."

Ichigo laughed, "My goodness, Renji's personality has been rubbing off on you."

"Yes, but don't tell him that whatever you do, I would never hear the end of it." He sighed, "But... Yes, please don't think I am in any way ashamed of you because that is certainly not the case. I am proud to have you by my side and I feel no shame in saying that I have fallen in love with another man... But my family will likely demand more of us than that."

"What do you mean?" the strawberry asked curiously.

"Well, they are old fashioned and traditional so they would most likely demand that we marry and produce heirs." He rubbed his forehead, "For several reasons I have no desire to be forced into that at the moment."

Pouting faintly, Ichigo asked, "What are your reasons?"

"Firstly, this is your first relationship and you are still adjusting to trusting me and having emotions again... I do not want to pressure you and tie you down, while you are still recovering there is no way I want to be stressing you out. Secondly, with all the problems concerning Aizen at the moment it is hardly the time to be thinking about bringing a child into the world. Thirdly, it is none of their damn business who I decide to date and whether or not I have asked for their hand in marriage."

"Oh you rebel." Ichigo grinned, leaning over and kissing him deeply, "I think you have the right idea, but surely you realise that it won't be long before they figure it out for themselves?"

Cupping his cheek gently, Byakuya looked up at him, "I don't particularly care right now." He breathed before he pulled him down against him and claimed his mouth heatedly, yanking the bed sheets up over them with a smirk.

A couple of hours later, Ichigo sat down at the table in the restaurant between Hisagi and Renji while watching Rukia and Kira sitting on the opposite side. He had taken everyone by surprise when he had sent out invitations to go out to lunch and they had been even more stunned when they had been greeted by the first real smile they had ever seen him give.

"How is Momo?" he asked Kira as he handed out menus.

"She is still in intensive care at the moment... Her lungs are only working at a third of their normal capacity and she is attached to a life support machine." The blond answered, "When the building collapsed on her she was crushed quite badly so it is a miracle that she has come this far to be honest."

"I'll have to pop in and see her at some point," he murmured, "Maybe take some flowers or something. Those rooms are pretty grim after all."

"That would be a nice idea." Rukia smiled, "How are you now Ichigo? You scared us all for a while."

"I'm..." he paused, "I'm okay. My wound has healed up completely though I still feel a little bit of pain when I pull it a bit too much while moving. Thanks for asking Rukia, how are you?"

"I'm glad you are alright, you really worried us..." she paused for a moment as she recalled the terrifying face of his Hollow form, "I'm alright, still getting my head around that fact that I had a dangerous weapon inside of me."

"I can imagine that was something of a shock to the system." He agreed.

He fell silent as they all ordered their chosen meals before he cleared his throat, "I uh... I do need to tell you guys something though..."

"What is it?" Hisagi asked sceptically as he sipped the small bowl of sake he had.

"Well... Rukia and Renji already know because they were on Sôkyoku Hill with me but... I didn't want you hearing it from anyone else... I'm part Hollow. When I was a child, Aizen used the Hogyuku on me and created something dubbed 'an Inner Hollow' which exists in my Inner World alongside the soul of my Zanpakto... It means I have extra power which comes in the form of a Hollow mask which I can use at will. I will be training to use it in battle, and it means my reiatsu will have a slightly darker feel to it, so if I happen to be training with any of you at any time... I don't want to freak you out alright?"

"You're part Hollow?" Kira repeated, "Doesn't that mean... You're like a Vasto Lordes though?"

"No... Because I started off as a Shinigami, I'm something called a Vizard. It is the opposite of a Vasto Lordes in some ways." He explained, "I'm no dangerous, I maintain complete focus over myself and my actions... I am not wild and rabid."

Hisagi shrugged and looked around as his food arrived, "Makes no difference to me, except for th fact you aren't a moody bastard anymore."

"Gee thanks Shūhei." He grumbled.

"I have to agree there actually Ichigo," Kira said, peering at him from under his fringe, "You're like a completely different person... When we were at Shino you were cold and indifferent, now you're... Different."

"It's because he is getting serviced by Nii-sama." Rukia said as he swallowed a mouthful of food.

"What? No way! You're in a relationship with Kuchiki-Taichou?!" Kira exclaimed.

"Thanks Rukia," the strawberry growled before he rubbed his forehead, "Yes I am, no I am not talking about it but yes we have been sleeping together." He told them stiffly before he swallowed a mouthful of noodles, "And you can't tell people about it because if his family finds out we'll have problems with them. And neither of us is ready to be forced into a marriage we aren't ready for."

"I won't tell anyone I swear..." Kira said confidently, but Ichigo wasn't so sure, he had a big mouth when Rangiku got him drunk.

Dinner went smoothly after that, and after several drinks and pudding they went their separate ways, promising to meet up the following week to do the same again. Ichigo was walking alone when he felt a shiver run up his spine and a ghostly ethereal spirit like form of Shirosaki appeared beside him.

"Hey Shiro." He greeted, "Did the Old Man kick you out again?"

"Nope, just thought I'd come and give you some company." He albino responded.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Ichigo shrugged, "Alright, cheers."

"Did it go okay? Telling your friends about me?"

"Yeah, they were cool with it actually. It was easier than I thought... Though I think I'll keep it to myself about the whole... Being one of Aizen's henchmen for a while thing... They don't need that hassle."

"Good idea, besides, all that matters is that you turned your back on him in the end. I mean, we stabbed him, King!" he smiled.

"True, though I think you were more in control than I was at that point."

"Don't put a downer on it. We stabbed him and we were awesome." The Hollow slapped him on the back before he looked around, "So... I like Byakuya."

"I know you do, you keep whispering perverse things to me about him when I'm trying to concentrate." He muttered.

"Don't be such a bore! He's like a sex god on legs and he is damn fine. You got lucky there I am telling you."

Ichigo smiled weakly, "Yeah, I am well aware of it too."

The strawberry paused as he looked around at where he had walked to; it was outside of Rukongai, and even further from Seireitei. He was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by grass and fields which stretched on for miles and miles.

His chestnut brown eyes fell upon a building over the other side of a nearby fence and he was overwhelmed by a feeling of familiarity, it was as though time had come to a halt, or rather had gone back, as he watched three children running out of the door. Two young girls being chased by a boy with stark orange hair; he watched as they ran out onto the grass and started playing with small wooden swords.

Eyes moving back to the door, he watched as a woman with spice colour hair and a kind smile stood in the doorway, in the arms of a strongly built man with jet black hair which was thrown up in short tousled spikes.

Something about these people rang true to him, making his soul sing with lamentation and loss. Feeling his shoulders grow weighty, he took a couple of steps forwards, his mouth going dry as the images disappeared suddenly, leaving him alone in the field, a heavy sensation of disappointment and failure filling the pit of his stomach.

Looking down, he realised his hands were shaking; Shiro was no longer beside him either, he had just turned away to return to Seireitei when there was a loud bang from right behind him; he flipped around, his hand flying to the hilt of his Zanpakto.

He swallowed hard as he looked up at the two large burly men, both were wearing red hats with a golden rip and white tassels on the top, they wore matching pale blue scarves which were tied at the ground by a red fastener with gold highlights, which matched their hats; one was wearing a yellow shirt and the other was wearing a blue one. He took a hasty step back as they both stared at him with scrutinising expressions and rather small piggy-like eyes.

"I... I apologise, I didn't realise I was trespassing, I was just leaving." He said hastily, "Sorry... I... I'm just leaving." He added and took another step backwards, his eyes widening as both men suddenly dropped to their knees and bowed in front of him.

"Ichigo-sama!" they said at the same time, "Welcome back, Ichigo-sama!"

"E-Excuse me?" he said with a shaky voice, "How... How the hell do you know me name?! Who are you?!"

"Does Ichigo-sama not remember us?" the one in yellow asked sadly.

"Why do you keep calling me that?!" he demanded, "Who are you?!"

"Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko!" a female voice shouted suddenly from the direction of the large house Ichigo had been staring at before; the voice shouted again before the owner of the voice appeared in the doorway and looked out.

Ichigo faltered and stared at her for several long minutes, there was that familiarity again, but he _couldn't_ remember where he knew her from! She had long black hair which was barely tamed by the crazy bandages in her hair; one of her arms was missing and had been replaced with a wooden replica. She was clad in a fairly scanty red top which amplified the size of her breasts and hugged her perfect figure. Her legs were bandaged as well, but by the way she was walking it was clear that her limbs were not injured. Her face was heart shaped; her mouth sculpted into a smirk and her eyes, her brilliant turquoise eyes were sparkling with amusement beneath her spiky fringe.

"Ichi?" the woman breathed before she slowly walked across the grass towards him and the two bowed men.

"You know me?" he asked uncertainly, his hand slowly falling away from the hilt of his Zanpakto.

"Of course I do... Don't you-"

"He doesn't recognise us Kūkaku-sama." The man in the blue shirt cried.

The woman looked back at him again and reached out, resting her hand on his head, ruffling his spiky locks gently, "I thought that you were dead, Ichi."

Ichigo frowned slightly and glanced at her hand as it touched his hair, "I'm sorry... I suffered amnesia at a young age... If I knew you once I... I don't anymore."

"No matter." She said; there was a flicker of sadness in her eyes which was soon concealed, "My name is Shiba Kūkaku. You are Ichigo, aren't you?"

"Yes... That is my name." He nodded once, "I... You look familiar to me but... I can't... I don't know why. A moment ago I thought I saw..." he pointed loosely towards the building behind her and faltered, "I should go. I apologise for interrupting you."

He turned to leave but looked at her sharply as she gripped his wrist in a deathly tight clench, "Stay. Maybe I can help you remember something."

"I should really be going home..."

"I said... Stay!" she yelled, slapping the back of of his head so hard that he face planted the floor with a groan.

"Okay! I'm staying!" he exclaimed before she could hit him again.

Relaxing, she offered a smile to him before turning on her heel and striding back into the house; the strawberry stared after her before rubbing his head and getting to his feet, following her hesitantly.

He was in awe as he looked around, the inside of the house was larger than what it looked like from the outside; it rivalled Byakuya's mansion for sure! He was drowning in a sensation of déjà vu, his heart thumping hard in his chest. He knew this building, he knew it... Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it... But it continued to evade him.

Shaking his head and sighing heavily, he slid his sandals off out of respect and followed this 'Kūkaku' into the large lounge beyond a set of partially opened Japanese paper doors.

His eyes widened as he stepped inside the room, his mouth drying and his heart almost stopping as he was hit over and over by memories of family gatherings and meals; darkened evenings curled up with a book on the sofa or in the window, watching the rain patter against the glass while two younger girls played on the floor with their dolls.

Staggering, Ichigo stared with dilated pupils at the woman in front of him as she rushed towards him to help hold him up as his legs seemed to no longer want to support him.

"Who... Who am I... To you?" he gasped out.

She faltered momentarily before she cupped his face, "Little cousin Ichi... You've gotten so big..."

"C-Cousin?" he breathed.

"Yes..." she tilted her head to the side, "Your father was the Head of the Shiba Clan, both he and your mother were powerful Shinigami... But they died; so did your two little sisters Karin and Yuzu... Slain by a Hollow and by the grace of whatever God was listening that night you were spared. But you were also taken from us all; no longer knowing who we were, or even who you were. I would have taken you on and raised you, but I wasn't allowed to... I'm sorry."

"I... I remember..." he said in a whisper, "... I remember sitting on Kaien's shoulders... Before my sister's were born... How old was I?" he asked.

"Four, Kaien loved you; he always said that he wished you were his little brother; you look so much like him Ichi... Dye your hair black and give you blue contact lenses... You'd be twins." She licked her lips.

"What... What happened to him?"

"He... He died." She sighed and looked down for a moment, "That's why every family member counts."

"But I'm a Kurosaki..."

"You are a Shiba! By blood and by nature. We protect our own no matter what the danger is to ourselves... I have heard about your battle with Aizen. Yoruichi is an old friend of mine, I heard all about it." She told him firmly, "Your mother and father would be so proud of you."

He swallowed hard and looked at her, searching for the truth in her eyes, "What do I do?" he asked quietly, "What do I do now? I'm so confused..."

"Follow your heart Ichigo. That's all you can do." Kūkaku told him firmly as she pulled her hands back finally.

"My heart... Is in turmoil." He murmured, touching his chest, "It doesn't know what it wants."

Kūkaku laughed at him and pulled away, walking across the room and opened a cupboard, pulling out a large photograph in a silver frame, "Here. This is your family. Both Kaien and his wife have passed away since this was taken, as well as your parents and siblings. But you should have something to remember the past by."

Ichigo took the photograph slowly, his stomach churning in concern before he steadily turned it around and looked at it. Familiar faces flew off the pages and burned themselves into his eyes; before he could control it tears began to stream down his face and soaked the skin of his cheeks.

"I wondered for so long... I couldn't remember my past; I couldn't remember why I was so alone, or why I was so void of emotions. Everything was such a maze of confusion and... It became easier to just ignore it; to fully forget that I had no past." He sighed heavily and let out a weak sob, "I've done so many bad things, I don't think my mother and father would be very proud of me at all... I think they would be ashamed and disgusted in what I became."

Kūkaku frowned slightly and dabbed his cheeks with a tissue, "What do you mean? They could never be ashamed of you."

Ichigo turned from her, holding the photograph against his chest as his shoulders slumped, "I helped Aizen. I was... I was one of his subordinates... I was to sit at his side in Hueco Mundo..." he said under his breath, his eyes darkening with guilt, "I had no emotions, no memories and no future when he took me under his wing, he saw greatness within me; power and ability. So he roped me into his plans and... I let him use me however he wanted. I had no shame, I let him fuck me whenever he wanted; where ever he wanted... It would have continued to be that way but he... He underestimated Kuchiki Byakuya...

"Byakuya saved me from myself, and from Aizen. He made me realise slowly that what I was doing wasn't right; he made me see that it was wrong and it was... It was unnecessary. I was so dependent on sex and feeling good that I lost sight of what little of me there was left. I only discovered on Sôkyoku Hill that I had been sleeping with an Arrancar as well. I made it possible for Aizen to hurt people and to do the things he did... I let him use me constantly and I never cared! What sort of parents would they be if that didn't bother them?! I was practically a _whore_. I would have slept with _anyone_ to get what I wanted, to feel for a few seconds..."

Kūkaku watched as the man before her crumbled slowly, his shoulders shaking as he let everything pour out, undoubtedly he had been bottling it up, berating himself inwardly. When it seemed he couldn't speak any further she spun him to face her and gave him a hard slap around the face.

"Does that make you feel better?" she demanded, "You've missed out one very important fact in your little speech. You were using past tense the whole way through! You're different aren't you? You can feel now, you have more to live for than before. You need to stop living in the past and pick up the pieces you have left!"

Rubbing his reddened cheek, he felt his eyes sting with fresh tears, "I... You're right... I... I'm sorry." He looked down at the photograph again and let a shaky breath escape him, "I wish... I wish they were here, you know?"

"I know kid," she smiled weakly and rubbed his back, "So, you call Kuchiki by his first name huh? What's the deal there?"

Groaning, the strawberry glanced at her, "I'm... We're... Kind of an item I guess... I'm pretty new to this whole 'emotional' and 'relationship' stuff so I keep making mistakes but, he never says anything. Just smiles knowingly."

"You sound like you're in love with him." She smirked.

"I am." He said without even stopping to consider it, "He saved my life just a few days ago. I'd be dead if he hadn't been there."

"I remember the days when _Little Byakuya_ got frustrated and let loose his anger at Yoruichi. I guess he has come a long way." She laughed, "I'll have to come by some time, Ichi, I would enjoy teasing him again."

"I am sure he would love that." He murmured.

Looking at her, he sighed softly and cleared his throat, "I need to head home soon... But can I come back sometime? I'd like to find out some more about my family."

"Course! Just you remember, you are a Shiba!" she grinned at him, "There aren't many of us left now, and we stick together. If you ever need me, I'll be there for you!"

"T-Thanks, Kūkaku." He nodded and went to hand her the photograph back.

"Keep it." She stated.

Ichigo offered her a smile and a nod of the head before he left her alone in the lounge, running from the house; eager to return to Seireitei and tell Byakuya of his discovery.

Kūkaku sat down heavily in the window and pulled out a pipe, lighting it up before she popped the end between her teeth and puffed on it, "Dear cousin Ichi... You've got a long way to go my boy, a long way." She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, "What would you do Brother? What am I saying? You'd run after him and throw him up on your shoulders like he was still a little kid - you never were one to judge no matter what had happened in the past. He'd still be your little cousin and you'd still love him to bits. He's so much like you... Oh, Brother, I hope you can forgive me."


	14. Chapter 14

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**Warning: Byakuya/Ichigo scene**

**Chapter Fourteen: The Qualms of Nobility:**

Ichigo threw the doors to the Kuchiki mansion open, smiling widely as he strode through the foyer and headed down one of the side corridors towards his lover's office. He slowed slightly as he heard raised voices and faltered, hurrying forwards and knocking on the office door before he pushed it open slowly.

He was taken aback by the sight of Byakuya sat behind his desk with his head in his hands while another man slammed his hands down on the desktop with anger in his voice, glowering down at the Clan leader.

This man had short black hair which was greying at the temples and was slicked back neatly, he had snow white skin and only a few age wrinkles around his eyes, eyes which were colder than frost and were the colour of steel.

His clothes were expensive, midnight blue robes which were bound closed by a thick gold windflower scarf around his waist, sucking the material in to emphasise the contours of his body. He wore gloves similar to Byakuya's, except that all fingers except his index and middle ones were covered by the black material.

There was no mistaking that this man was a Kuchiki Elder.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked innocently as he stepped into the office properly.

Byakuya's head snapped up and the strawberry could see the frustration in his eyes, "Ichigo," the Captain said as he stood up slowly, "This is Kuchiki Naru; he is the Grand Elder of the Kuchiki Council. He was also just _leaving_."

"Oh I think not Byakuya," the Elder said with a slight smirk which made Ichigo shudder, "So this is the boy? Did you really think you could hide him from us? We have eyes and ears everywhere."

"I had hoped you would at least respect my privacy however, what I do in my own time is my own business after all." Byakuya growled.

"Yes, but when 'what you do' affects the future of the family it becomes our business." Naru said arrogantly, walking up to Ichigo and appraising the man with a callous eye.

Ichigo met the man's gaze as they came eye to eye and refused to back down, "Do you have a problem, sir?" he asked politely.

"Several; and one of them is staring me in the face." he responded coolly.

"That is a pity," the strawberry murmured and offered a curt bow to the Elder, "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, formerly of Division Five and now Third Seat of Division Six; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Naru watched with an arched eyebrow, he disliked the boy already. The fact that a commoner thought that they could creep their way into their family for a second time made his skin crawl and his blood boil. He would not have their name sullied _again_.

"You are from Rukongai, aren't you?" he asked smugly.

"I spent the majority of my childhood there, yes." Ichigo answered as he straightened and smiled at him, "Why do you ask?"

"It merely amazes me that another commoner thinks that they can slither into our family without a problem. I'm afraid that we are unwilling to allow that to happen again, Hisana was inconvenient enough without another one troubling us; and on top of that, a _male_ commoner. My, my Byakuya how the mighty have fallen." Naru sneered, glancing at the Head of the family again for a moment before turning back to Ichigo.

"I will not have you speak to a guest of mine in that manner!" the nobleman barked, his teeth clenching.

"I will address this _scum_ however I desire to..." Naru looked at Byakuya, "Are you gay now? How do you intend to bear an heir with this commoner? Will you allow our family to fall to ruin for the sake of a roll in the hay with this... _Riffraff_."

"ENOUGH!" Byakuya roared, slamming his hand down on the table, "GET OUT!"

The Elder smirked widely, "You will be summoned before the Council in a short while, and I would prepare yourselves to be split up."

Ichigo frowned as he was walked into as the man exited the office and watched him go, the desire to kill him rising inside of him; he quelled it and pushed it aside. Instead, he walked around the desk and resting a hand on Byakuya's shoulder tenderly, faltering momentarily as he flinched away from his touch.

"I apologise Ichigo," the raven haired male said after a moment, his voice was strained as though he was fighting some inner turmoil, "Someone in this household has betrayed my trust. It is likely I will be unable to sway the decision of the Council without something to throw at them."

"Then throw _me_ at them." the strawberry breathed, reaching up and combing his fingers through the other's hair, "I'm here for you Byakuya."

"Don't." The noble pulled away from his touch and turned away from him, "It wouldn't be fair for me to feed you false hope... I was wrong to think that they would merely force us to marry... Instead they are completely unwilling to even contemplate the thought of a relationship between us. We should end this now while we still can... Before it gets too far."

"You're giving up on us?" Ichigo asked, balling a fist at his side, setting his photograph down a side board before he stalked over and forced him to look around at him, "You and I are _not_ giving up in the face of an old man too bitter and twisted to know what we have. I _love_ you... Do you understand what that means for me? I have never loved another person like I love you and I will not give you up. Not for anything. Don't you dare make me regret opening my heart to you."

"What would you have me do?!" Byakuya snapped at him, his eyes boring into those of his lover, "What would you have me tell them?!"

"That you don't care what they think, for starters!" he growled back, "Or are you ashamed of me? Ashamed of what I was? Maybe this never meant anything to you after all! What was I? Your private and personal _whore_?!"

The nobleman slapped him hard in the face before he grabbed a fistful of his hair and tore him into a heated and furious kiss, shoving him against his desk and bending him backwards over it as he worked at plundering his mouth, biting his lips and his tongue, and moaning as he tasted blood.

Ichigo wound his legs around his waist and bucked his hips against his as he hardened in his hakama, he groaned heatedly as he felt the other's teeth sinking into his skin and he arched his back, gasping in surprise as his clothes were torn and ripped at.

Feeling the desperate need to claim Ichigo as his own again, Byakuya tore and shredded his uniform, sinking his teeth into his shoulder and sucking hard at his skin to leave a unique mark that was entirely his own. He returned his mouth to his lovers as he wrestled himself free of his own clothes before he wrapped his fingers around his own member and pumped himself to complete hardness before he leaned over his lover and plunged his tongue back into his mouth, snapping his legs open as the need all but consumed him.

The strawberry let out a cry into his lover's mouth as he was filled suddenly and was given little time to adjust before he was being slammed into. He had to admit he relished Byakuya's forceful and aggressive side; there were few things more pleasurable than seeing and feeling the man going wild. He loved the fact that he was the only one who got to see Byakuya like this, he loved the fact that he was able to elicit such a purely emotional response from him when he was usually so composed.

A cry escaped him as he felt a zing of pure bliss burst through him as his prostate was abused roughly; he threw his head back, winding his legs around his waist tighter than before as he rocked his hips up against the forceful and bruising thrusts of his lover.

Sweat glistened across their bodies as they met in hot, wet kisses, their pace never lessening as Byakuya took his frustration and his passion out on Ichigo, all thought and sensibility gone in the wake of anger and desire. He would possess this man until the end of the world. Council be damned.

Paper work went flying; a bottle of ink flew off the desk and smashed on the ground, sending black ink spattering across the wooden floor. The nobleman pulled back and pressed his hands either side of Ichigo's head on the desk as he forced himself to become rougher still, pulling back ad ramming himself back against his pliable body, groaning out freely as their skin slapped and their hips kissed in meeting.

Their releases came without warning and Ichigo let out a shrill wail as his muscles went into spasm and he spilled out over his stomach while feeling the warmth of his lover's own release within his core.

Panting and gasping for breath, they remained in their ending position for some time before Byakuya finally felt the bones in his legs return to normal and he pulled back slowly. He watched Ichigo out of the corner of his eye as he slowly dressed himself again.

The strawberry moaned softly and stretched out on the desk, a feeling of utter contentment filling him, "So... You_ aren't_ giving up on us?" he asked with a lazy smile.

"No... I apologise," the other answered with a small smile, "I was... Merely too wound up to consider the possibilities. If there is a way for us to stay together than I will find it. But for now, we need to get cleaned up and attend that meeting."

Ichigo slowly sat up and slid off the desk, "You might have to carry me there, my dear, I have been completely and utterly fucked."

"Ichigo you are so crude." Byakuya breathed, leaning in and kissing him sweetly before he scooped him up and flash-stepped upstairs so that they could wash and dress.

It was an hour later when they received their summons to attend the Council meeting, by that time Ichigo had been well and truly sated several times over and the same could be said of Byakuya. The Kuchiki heir was definitely less frustrated for certain.

Ichigo walked along side his lover, their fingers brushing shyly as they headed towards the Kuchiki Council building. It was a large dome shaped construction and from what Byakuya had told him, the upstairs part was where the Elders lived and worked while the down stairs was a huge court room like space where judgement would fall upon a member of the family.

The pair ascended the three stone steps which led to the entrance into the building, Ichigo felt a prang of anxiety before he forced it aside and glanced around the foyer as they entered it; the walls were panelled with dark wood and several portraits hung around, from the similar features each person in each painting shared he guessed that they were all Kuchiki's, and upon seeing Byakuya's portrait he realised that the previous 27 were all Kuchiki Heads.

"Intimidating isn't it?" Byakuya said under his breath as they walked.

"A little... Are they all your predecessors?"

"Yes," he nodded, "From the first Clan leader to the current one. I am the 28th so far."

Ichigo licked his lips and glanced at the portrait of his lover, "They certainly painted your better side."

"Haha." The other rolled his eyes.

Byakuya looked ahead again as the doors to the court room swung open of their own accord and endorsed them entrance; as they stepped inside they were instantly revealed to the gathered group of Kuchiki Elders.

"You weren't kidding... This looks just like a court room." Ichigo breathed as a shiver ran down his spine.

The seats ran around the room with breaks for the entrance and the side exit; the seats were six to a row and each row grew higher towards the ceiling; the Grand Elders' seat was mahogany and was encased by a plinth on which notes and paperwork could be stored to be used during the _meeting_; it was raised quite high off the ground to make it seem more daunting than it already did.

Ichigo and Byakuya walked forwards, watching from the corner of their eyes as the various Elders took to their seats, the prior gossiping quietening down as Naru slipped into his seat as the Grand Elder, looking down on them as though they were little more than dirt under his shoe.

The strawberry looked around in surprise as Byakuya suddenly took his hand, right there in front of them all and their accusative stares; he felt his face flush slightly before he linked their fingers and looked back at Naru.

"You know why you have been summoned here, do you not?" Naru asked, his voice being amplified by a special kidou.

"Yes, because you find my taste in lover undignified." Byakuya answered.

"Correct, the Council has ruled that you will cease your interaction with this commoner... And you will take a noble wife and have an heir within the next five years." The man said, a smirk evident on his face.

"Excuse me?" the Captain asked with a quirked eyebrow, "I didn't realise you had the authority to force a marriage upon me. Pray, who am I to marry?"

"It has not been decided yet, however once a suitable wife has been selected a date for the wedding will be set and-"

"That is not happening." Ichigo interrupted, releasing Byakuya's hand and stepping forwards, glaring up at Naru, "I won't allow it."

"Ichigo don't-" his lover hissed.

"You are a commoner, and you dare speak to me of what I can or cannot dictate? I could have you clapped in irons boy."

"Somehow I doubt that very much," he growled, "What exactly is your problem with our relationship?"

Naru clenched his teeth as he was spoken to with such little respect, and he heard whispers darting around the room from his fellow Elders, "You are common, your blood will dirty ours. We risked it once before with Hisana and thankfully she died before she was able to conceive a child-"

"_Thankfully_?!" Byakuya exclaimed as his anger flared.

Naru ignored the other's outburst, "You are also incapable of bearing a child because of your common blood."

"What has my blood got to do with that?"

Scoffing, the Grand Elder shook his head, "All male noblemen can bear children because of the necessity to carry on the bloodline, it is a specific trait only seen in nobility, and they can only be impregnated by another nobleman... Of course this is only specific to nobles who do intent end up in same sex relationships, of which there are very few."

"I wonder why." Byakuya muttered under his breath.

Ichigo sank back and considered this information for a moment, subconsciously a hand moved to his stomach and for a moment he felt anxiety flow over his shoulders. He kicked it aside and looked Naru straight in the eye, "Then you have no purpose for splitting us up do you?"

"Have you not been listening to anything-"

"I have been listening _very_ closely. And with each Elder here as my witness to your own testament I am here to tell you that my name is Kurosaki Ichigo and I am a member of the Shiba Clan! Nobility! I only recently discovered my own heritage... But this is who I am. I am a Shiba and my cousin Kūkaku will undoubtedly support that if you have any qualms. And if you want further proof..." he threw Naru the photograph he had been carrying around with him, "Now you can back the hell off and leave us the hell alone. Or else."

Byakuya stared at Ichigo, wondering when and how he had figured out his heritage; it certainly hadn't been from him, he had refused to divulge any memories from his visit into Ichigo's mind. Never the less, he was pleased that Ichigo had found it out, and it certainly provided them with the leverage they required.

Naru was fuming. How could this be so? He glowered down at the photograph in his hands as his mind worked high speed for a way to counter the young man's claims; it wouldn't even work if he said that the Shiba's were no longer among the five Noble families because their blood was still pure. He had no argument to give.

Climbing down from his seat and walking towards the strawberry slowly, Naru held the photo out to him, "Very well, boy, if you are so insistent upon being a part of this family then... A part of this family you shall be. Marry him."

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Marry the head of the Kuchiki family and be a part of the family... Or are you all talk and no actions?"

"Naru you _cannot_ force this upon us." Byakuya growled as he came forward and stood beside his lover.

"I am not forcing anything... If the boy cares for you as he sounds like he does he won't have any problem in accepting these terms will he?" the Elder smirked coyly.

Ichigo trembled for a moment before he glared and looked at Naru, "Very well. I have no problem with marrying him if it going to get you off my back."

"What?" Byakuya and Naru said at the same time.


	15. Chapter 15

**Oh my God! 3 away from 100 reviews! Amazing, completely amazing, thank you so much for your support so far! I hope you continue enjoy the story!**

**Chapter Fifteen: Because Nothing Escaped Aizen Sousuke:**

"What are you playing at?" Byakuya demanded in a growl as he shut the front door behind them, "Marriage?!"

"Do I detect something which suggests the idea that you find the idea of marrying me... Unattractive?" the strawberry asked as he wandered off into the kitchen to find some food.

The Captain spluttered and followed him, "That is not what I am saying! But are you really ready for this? It is a lot of pressure, a lot of work, and a lot of commitment! I didn't want this for us because of everything you have been through, this should have been a private decision made between the two of us... Somewhere down the line."

"So you have been considering marrying me? You clearly think our relationship is strong." Ichigo murmured.

"You nearly got yourself killed to save my life, after proclaiming to me that you would never be able to care for someone. I think that makes us pretty strong, don't you?" the nobleman asked as he watched the other plunder the cupboards for a snack.

He merely shrugged in response, "Makes it special... But how do I know that you won't get bored and cast me aside?"

Raising one perfect eyebrow, Byakuya stared at him, "Are you stupid?"

"Sometimes." Ichigo said sarcastically.

"I am not going to get bored of you... I can't think of any reason that you would have for thinking that." He said firmly.

Ichigo sank his teeth into the sandwich he had made, he sighed heavily as he chewed and swallowed finally, glancing at the ceiling before he looked at him, "I'm hard work... I'm formerly a traitor... I... I'm damaged and... I'm..."

"Making a lot of stupid excuses." Byakuya finished for him, sighing softly before he took a seat beside him, "I don't think you are hard work at all, nor do I consider you a traitor. You were manipulated for a cause you never truly considered and didn't believe in. You _are_ damaged by your past, but you are repairing yourself and I am helping you." He smiled weakly and rested an arm around his shoulders, "All you have to do is open up to me."

The strawberry bit his lip and dropped his head down onto his lover's shoulder, "So, you aren't angry about me agreeing to marry you then?"

"I... I would have rather waited until we were ready, but it seems that we do not have that luxury," he breathed, kissing the top of his head, "I would gladly marry you, if you are certain that it is what you want."

"I do... I do want it, I never believed myself capable of wanting something or someone as much as I want this and you." He murmured, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"I see... In that case..." Byakuya pulled away suddenly and made the other jump before he moved and got down on one knee, "Allow me to do this officially then, Kurosaki Ichigo will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Ichigo flushed and looked down at him, smiling as he spoke before he nodded, "Yes, of course I will."

The pair met in a kiss as Byakuya stood back up, sandwich lying forgotten as the nobleman carried his lover out of the kitchen and upstairs towards their bedroom.

Aizen frowned slightly as he read the report for the third time, his reiatsu fluctuating slightly as his chocolate eyes glanced over the words 'Shiba' and 'marriage' before he crumpled the paper in his hand and stood up, walking out onto the large balcony which overlooking the sands of Hueco Mundo.

"I knew it was a mistake to leave Ichigo behind... But to think he would go so far as to _marry_ Kuchiki Byakuya... I'm surprised." He murmured under his breath, "Gin, fetch me Yammy and Ulquiorra."

"Yes Aizen-taichou!" the silver haired fox responded from near the door before he disappeared from sight.

The brunet sighed and leaned against the stone banister, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He had believed that he had cut off all his feelings for the strawberry the moment that he had run him through, and even further he believed he had killed him. Yet he could not quell the small niggling feeling of pleasure he had at knowing he was alive and well... But anger followed, he could not afford for his feelings to get in the way of what was happening and what he was planning. Ichigo was a brilliant experiment, and he did indeed still desire him to be sat at his side, but if he was unwilling to do as he was told it made him a loose cannon to be dealt with.

"Ulquiorra," he greeted as he sensed the presence of the stoic Espada enter the room, "And Yammy, prompt as always."

"Aizen-sama." The pale skinned emotionally devoid Arrancar bowed to his master, "What do you require of us?"

"I want you to go to Soul Society, and I want you to kidnap Kuchiki Byakuya." He murmured as he turned to face the pair of them, "Keep the damage to a minimum, and ensure that his _fiancé_ Kurosaki Ichigo sees you take him. But beware, the boy holds great power and is not to be harmed, but you are not to be harmed either. Understood?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama, it shall be done." Ulquiorra nodded.

"Excellent, you are to leave as soon as you are ready to do so." He told them as he sat down in his giant white seat.

He watched as the two Espada bowed to him and exited the room silently and rested his chin on the back of his hand; he smirked faintly in anticipation, hoping that the bait would be taken. If he could just lure Ichigo to Las Noches, the Hollow inside of him would be forced to react to the mass of Arrancar and Espada... Their reiatsu would trigger a reaction for better or for worst.

Ichigo dropped his head down on the table and yawned loudly as his friend chatted over him. He was _so_ tired; Byakuya certainly knew how to wear him out in the bedroom department.

He sat up suddenly as he heard a familiarly silky voice and he looked around, breaking into a wide smile as his _fiancé_ walked into the restaurant wearing more casual attire. Ichigo glanced around as his friends fell silent in the wake of the arrival of a Taichou but he stood up and slid out of the booth and walked over.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile.

"I thought I might join you this time, that way we could break the news to your friends... If you wish to do so that is?" the noble answered, sliding an arm around his lover's waist and pulling him closer.

Ichigo's eyebrows rose in surprise, "You sure you're ready to do that? You still seemed a little apprehensive earlier."

"I have had time to consider it and... I have spoken to Hisana." He said stiffly.

"Ah," he murmured, "I understand." He smiled.

"You do?"

"You wanted to ask for her permission to move on... It is respectful thing to do. I think you did the right thing." The strawberry shrugged, "I would have done the same thing."

Byakuya arched a singular manicured eyebrow, "I am surprised that you understand. I don't mean that offensively but..."

"I've never been in a relationship before, let alone married to someone who has then passed away."

"Exactly..." he murmured before he leaned down and pressed a kiss against his forehead, "I am at peace with Hisana now, so I am at peace with our decision. I would... I would like to tell people. And they are your friends, so it is best that they hear it from us yes?"

Ichigo offered him a large smile and turned his head, brushing their lips, "I would like that. I'll leave it to you to inform my cousin shall I?"

"Oh God please no. Kūkaku is a nightmare!" he breathed.

"She's not _that_ bad." He giggled before he took his hand and led him back over to the table and sat beside him.

Renji and Rukia stared at the pair for a long moment, being joined shortly after by Kira and Hisagi. Ichigo almost blushed under their scrutiny but just about managed to contain himself.

"I have some news..." he said, clearing his voice as their eyes moved to him alone, "I... Recently found out I'm actually part of the Shiba Clan, a former member of the five noble families and... On top of that..." he laughed nervously and rubbed his neck, "I'm getting married... To... Kuchiki-Taichou... I mean, Byakuya..."

"No way..." Renji breathed, "You're a noble?! But you grew up with us on the streets... And..." the redhead looked at his Captain, "You're off duty so I can talk straight... You hurt Ichigo - you die."

"I'm not going to hurt him, Renji; I care very deeply for him. I understand that our marriage has come quite soon after we got together however the Kuchiki Elders caught wind of our relationship and our only options were to marry to split up. It was ultimately Ichigo's choice to marry me... I would not force him to do so." The raven haired male _almost_ smiled at his Fuku-Taichou.

"Nii-sama... Is this what you want?" Rukia asked quietly.

"Absolutely, Rukia, I have never wanted anything or anyone more."

"And... It is what you want Ichigo?"

"Of course, one hundred percent." The strawberry chuckled, slipping his arm around his lover's waist.

"I'm happy for you then." She smiled.

So... A Shiba huh?" Hisagi smirked slightly as he slung an arm over the back of the booth and crossed his legs, "I should have guessed, you've got the right attitude to be one of them."

"Fuck you, Mr 69." Ichigo bite back with a wicked and devilish smirk on his face.

"Bitch about my tattoo again, really? I thought you had matured..." he responded in good humour, "Nah, good on you, I hope you're happy."

The strawberry shook his head at him and rolled his eyes, "I am."

Kira merely offered a small solemn smile, but said nothing in response to either bits of news, his thoughts most likely still dwelling on his treacherous Taichou. Ichigo offered a pat to the back but retracted his hand when their food arrived with an extra bowl for the newest arrival.

Everyone tucked into their meal, Ichigo relaxed slightly as he glanced at them one by one, relieved that his revelations hadn't changed their feelings or attitudes towards him. He was only just coming to know them again after so long of being so devoid of everything, he could finally come to see what they felt and thought... He could understand them all that little bit better now that he could feel. And that was all down to his lover... His soon to be husband.

They left the restaurant an hour later, full and content with the meals they had devoured with zeal. The group started heading back towards Seireitei, almost ready to retire for the evening so that they could recoup and be ready for work the next day. That was when it happened.

"**Ichigo!"**

His back stiffened as the voice of his Inner Hollow screamed and resonated around his head, making him dizzy for a moment before he was overwhelmed by the urge to fight.

He looked around frantically, searching the street and the nearby crowds of people. Ichigo looked at Byakuya as he heard him calling his name and the look of concern he wore on his face, but then his sense of sound began to drown out as though he was under water. He blinked a couple of times, his vision turning slightly hazy.

Swaying on the spot he felt as though his reiatsu was being tugged at, it was a stomach churning feeling and he really didn't like it, he wanted to vomit. He paled slightly and leaned heavily against the closest wall, tipping his head back and looking at the darkening sky.

His eyes narrowed abruptly and his entire body tensed as he saw to white clad figures hovering in the sky above them, he could sense Hollow reiatsu coming from them and entangling with his own Hollowfied nature. They were the ones causing his feelings of utter unease.

"Ichigo what is the matter?" Byakuya's voice was suddenly loud in his ear again, followed by the heavy pumping of blood through his body.

"The sky... Arrancar!" he said and pointed at the duo.

"What the-" the noble broke off as he saw them, "Shit."

"Did you just swear?"

"Yes." The noble said indignantly before he and Ichigo shot into the sky, drawing their Zanpakto as they went, being joined by the Fuku-Taichou they had been dining with just minutes before.

Festivity was absent in the wake of danger, instinct and battle weariness overtook such things, each drawing their Zanpakto from their sheaths as they surrounded the Arrancar.

"Leave this place before you are forced to obliterate you." Byakuya said firmly, "I am Division Six's Taichou, Kuchiki Byakuya, it is my duty to protect Soul Society from invasion, if you have lost your way then I will give you the chance to turn back."

"Ulquiorra..." the larger of the two Arrancar called out, "He said his name is Kuchiki... Ain't he the one we want?"

"Your detective skills impress me Yammy... Indeed, this is the man we are after." The smaller, lithe Hollow who stood beside him fixed his emerald green eyes on the target, from the corner of his eye he could see the orange haired Shinigami his master had mentioned to them.

"If you want him, you'll have to go through me you bastards!" Ichigo shouted suddenly, putting himself between the Arrancar and his lover.

"_Ichigo_." Byakuya hissed before he blinked as he became surrounded by the Fuku-Taichou class Shinigami.

Ulquiorra glanced at them all one by one, tipping his head slightly before he glanced at Yammy and nodded once, letting the large man off his metaphorical leash.

Ichigo's eyes widened as the large Hollow vanished, moments later feeling his massive hand sweeping him to the side; he cried out at the contact of his ribs cracking under the force and skidded, forcing himself to stand again, just in time to see Rukia and Renji being tossed aside like ragdolls before Hisagi and Kira were thrown down to the ground with a painful thud.

He watched the large man's hand extend towards Byakuya and let out a roar, tearing towards him with his sword raised, he felt a boost in his powers as Shirosaki reacted to the predicament and without warning Ichigo watched as white foam began to form over his face.

For a moment he thought he was turning into a Hollow again but he cast the though aside in the wake of feeling the foam solidify around his face like a mask and stopping, he felt his reiatsu expand as he lunged forwards and yelled, his voice amplified by his Hollow powers as he brought down a powerful Getsuga Tenshou and severed the large Hollow's arm, just below the elbow.

Yammy let out a howl of pain and swung his other arm around to capture the impertinent little insect which had managed to injure him but closed his fat fingers around thin air, his beady eyes narrowing even further as he sought of the reiatsu of the person before he felt a warm slash down his back, letting out another howl of pain.

Ichigo growled and jumped up above him after slashing open his back, letting out a roar as he turned and dived down towards his neck, aiming his sword for the bridge of the Hollow's neck. He was going to end the bastard forever.

A flash of green etched itself into his eyes and he found himself frozen, not moving any further forwards as he stared into the emerald green eyes of the smaller Hollow. His own chestnut colour eyes widened very slightly as he realised that he had been stopped mid-air by the very same Hollow grabbing hold of the blade of his Zanpakto with his bare hand.

"I fail to see why Aizen-sama holds such interest in you, Kurosaki Ichigo." The green eyed Arrancar breathed, his expression remaining stiff.

"A-Aizen sent you?" he asked, "What does he want?!"

"Kuchiki Byakuya." He answered before he reached up with his free hand and grabbed Ichigo's mask in his fingers and tore it from his face, eliciting a beautiful scream from the strawberry, "We were ordered not to harm you, but if you do not stop fighting we will have no other option."

"Like fuck am I going to sit back and let you take my lover from me." He growled, spinning suddenly and kicking him in the chest, wincing as the kick reverberated pain up his shin from the strength of the Hollow's heirro, "Oh my god... Are you made from marble of something?"

"Not quite." Ulquiorra said humourlessly before he grabbed his throat and threw him aside, flash-stepping across the open void and grabbing Kuchiki Byakuya before anyone could even twitch a muscle.

He tore Senbonzakura from the Taichou's hands and bound it to prevent it from being released into its Shikai, as per Aizen's orders before he forced a pair of reiatsu suppressant handcuffs on his wrists and flash-stepped over to Yammy.

"Come Yammy, it is done." He stated before he tore open a Garganta and led the way through it.

Ichigo picked himself up slowly, groaning as his bones creaking in protest; his eyes widened as he saw the pale skinned man dragging his lover through the Garganta; he let out a howl and flash-stepped towards it as fast as he possibly could, reaching it all but a moment too late, screaming in anger as the passageway snapped shut and threw him backwards.

He gasped as a strong arm wrapped around him and he looked around at Renji, seeing the same panic in his eyes as he was feeling pounding through him.

"Ichigo... It'll be okay... Taichou is a strong man, he'll be fine..." Renji told him, trying to sound confident with it.

"They are taking him to _Aizen_... The man wants to _kill_ him... How is he going to be _fine_?!" he demanded, shrugging off his arm and running a hand down his face before he swore, "I wasn't fast enough!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, been a little while since I updated so sorry about that! I got carried away with a couple of my other stories *laugh* anyway, thank you for the wonderful reviews! WE REACHED 100!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter Sixteen: Crippling Defiance:**

The light blinded him and he scrunched his face up to try and block it out; he sucked in a raspy breath as he heard footsteps against the white stone floor. He had lost track of time since he had been stolen from Soul Society; there was no time in this room, his prison, and residence. The once a day visits from the Arrancar who had taken him provided little information as he was getting too weak to even speak.

He had been force fed three times a day, but he could not adjust properly to Hueco Mundo and it was sapping his reiatsu at an alarming rate; the three meals he was provided simply couldn't restore his reiatsu, and thus far no one had bothered to stabilize it.

It was disgraceful, the state that he was in: his usually sleek hair was matted and greasy; his usually perfect face not sported blossoming bruises and a cut to his bottom lip from when he had pushed his tormentor too far; his clothes were torn and dirty and he smelled. His wrists were chaffing from the tight shackles which he was clad in, the chain barely long enough to allow him rest his hands on his lap.

When his hands were suddenly unhooked from the metal peg on the wall above his head and he was yanked to his feet, he was shocked and unstable, staggering and almost crumpling from having been sat in the same position for so long.

Slowly daring to crack his eyelids open, he found himself looking at the dark haired Arrancar who had taken him from Soul Society, of course he had expected nothing less, he had seen no one else.

He was steadied, despite his wobbles and lurches, until he could just about stand by himself; and then his Hollow acquaintance stepped back and looked him over before he met his wincing gaze.

"Aizen-sama has requested your presence in the King's Suite." The green eyed Hollow stated before he turned on his heel and strode from the room, expecting for him to follow.

Byakuya licked his cracked lips and followed slowly, his legs shaking under his own weight as he swayed his way after him, using the wall as a crutch as he leaned heavily against it during his journey from his small room to Aizen's 'King Suite'.

"Come in." Aizen voice called from the other side of the door as he and the Arrancar reached it; the green eyed man glanced at him momentarily before he opened the door and pushed him inside a little roughly.

"Aizen-sama, I have brought the Shinigami to you as you asked." The man said as he bowed.

"Thank you Ulquiorra, you are dismissed for now." The brunet smiled slightly and watched his subordinate leave before he got to his feet and descended the couple of steps towards Byakuya, "Well, how the mighty have fallen."

"W-What... Do you... Want from me?" Byakuya asked, subconsciously wrapping his arms around himself, trying to add an extra layer of protection.

Aizen reached out, taking a strand of his formerly silken hair between his fingers, "From you? Nothing. However you are a catalyst which I regrettably require for the time being," he murmured, yanking him forwards by the hair he was holding and making the noble stumble, "Did you think your proposal of marriage would escape my ears? Ichigo will never belong to you... I'll make sure of it."

"The... Kuchiki Elders forced our hand... They forced the point..." he said quietly, wincing as his hair was yanked and he almost fell against the man.

"I don't care, Ichigo isn't yours to have." The brunet breathed, "I had to act. So I had Ulquiorra and Yammy kidnap you and bring you were, knowing that Ichigo would undoubtedly follow. And when he does the reiatsu of the Arrancar and Espada in this palace will call out to his Hollow and he will have no choice but to remain here. With me."

"Why... Can't you understand... He doesn't want you?!" he exclaimed, his voice breaking from dryness.

Aizen released him and watched as the man crumpled on the floor, a shaking and pathetic mess; he turned away and walked back up to his chair, "You've gotten weak, Kuchiki. I'm disappointed in you, and I am sure Ichigo will be too. I cannot have you dying yet, the rage it would trigger within him would be devastating, as I have already come to realise to my own detriment. My Head Scientist will see you shortly and begin stabilising your reiatsu. I suggest you get used to being here, you'll not be seeing Soul Society again for some time."

"You... Son-of-a-bitch." Byakuya breathed before he was crushed beneath the brunet's colossal reiatsu.

As it turned out, Aizen's Head Scientist was a narcissistic; a perfectionist; vain, and damn near clinically insane. There was no denying that he was an attractive specimen of a man, with brilliant baby pink hair; glittering amber eyes and flawless white skin. Had he not been the enemy, a Hollow and had he had not been very much spoken for, Byakuya would have found him quite the worthy recipient for his feelings.

Laying back on the hospital style bed, Byakuya allowed himself to be fussed over, his blood being taken; his blood pressure and blood sugars; his temperature and his overall health. The narcissist scientist seemed acquainted quite well with the comings and goings of medicine as well, not that it made much difference for Byakuya had no choice but to allow him to conduct his work.

"Ugh, and you are simply filthy! How can Ulquiorra have allowed you to degenerate to this condition... No, I absolutely refuse to do any further tests on you while you look and smell like a sewer." The Hollow announced finally, snapping off his gloves and throwing them in the bin moodily.

"I apologise." Byakuya said amicably, "I have been fed and watered but... Little else."

His golden eyes fixed on his grey ones for a moment before the Hollow allowed a smile to stretch across his face, "Oh it's not your fault I'm sure," he said, resting a hand on Byakuya's arm slowly, "Ulquiorra is a frightfully unpleasant fellow, he doesn't understand the aesthetics matter. I have a bathroom adjacent to my office, I'll let you use it so you can clean yourself up. I am sure I can find some clothes which would fit you as well."

Byakuya didn't trust that smile and he wasn't keen on the way his arm was being touched, but at present he had no other option but to comply, "Thank you... That would be... Most satisfactory."

The man's bathroom was huge, with a shower large enough to fit maybe three people in it; and considering the slightly lecherous attitude of the scientist he had witnessed, he was suddenly pondering that it was that large for exactly that purpose.

Suppressing a shudder, Byakuya slowly removed his tattered uniform; his muscles were burning and aching from so much use after so long of being in one position but he couldn't allow himself to crumble in the dragon's den.

Showering helped somewhat, he at least felt a little more alive after cleansing his skin from grime and sweat; it stung his split lip slightly but he was willing to put up with the discomfort of the pleasure of being clean and focused again.

He still felt incredibly weak, but his body was at least doing what his brain was telling it to now; he turned the water off and left the shower, drying his skin and freshly washed hair with the fluffy pink towels which were hung on the rack near the door.

His cheeks burned slightly as he saw a pile of folded clothes on the counter and he realised that the scientist had entered the bathroom while he had been washing. The thought of having been seen naked by anyone other than his lover made his skin crawl and he almost got back in the shower to purify himself of his shame.

He slowly made his way out of the bathroom and through the man's office, feeling much better for being in control of his limbs again; he was slightly disturbed by the comfortableness of the white uniform he was wearing. It was composed of a white hakama and a black sash as well as a long white coat which was tight around his wrists; the high collar made him feel slightly strangled but it was better than going without the coat and remaining with bear chest, considering that he had not been provided with a shirt or kosode of any kind.

He stepped out into the laboratory and swept his eyes around, finding the pink haired Hollow sat in front of a large computer scrutinizing his tests and results. He walked back over to the bed he had previously been laid on and sat on the edge, watching him as he worked.

A narcissist was at the very least, conscientious and focused.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T GO AFTER HIM?!" Ichigo yelled at the Head Captain, ignoring the surprised gasps from the other Captains, "HE WAS KIDNAPPED BY AIZEN! YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO AFTER HIM!"

"SILENCE!" Yamamoto growled, his reiatsu flaring dangerously, "I will not have members of the Gotei 13 scrambling around the wasteland of Hueco Mundo for a man who might already be dead."

The strawberry froze at his words and he balled a fist, swallowing hard, "He isn't... He isn't dead..." he breathed, "He isn't dead yet... There is time to save him, to get him back! You have to let me try... Please!"

"No. I am made my decision. Abarai-Fukutaichou, you will assume the Taichou's position temporarily, look after your Division; Kurosaki, you will assume the part of the Fukutaichou. Now, this meeting is over." He cracked his stick against the wooden floor and dismissed the gathered Shinigami.

Ichigo slumped as he exited the room slowly, feeling Renji's hand on his back he ignored the redhead and brushed him off, walking off ahead of him as he considered his options.

Byakuya had never abandoned him, he had delved into the furthest reaches of his mind to bring him back from the brink of death; he couldn't just sit back and do nothing, he couldn't bear to imagine what was happening to him while he was trapped with Aizen. His greatest fears were that his lover would be abused sexually; he knew that the shame Byakuya would bear from such an event would make the noble wish death upon himself; and thus him being dead was only the second greatest fear he had.

But he couldn't stand to think of him there alone, suffering and abused, he had to do something, even if it meant going against the Head Captain's orders.

That night, Ichigo crept from Division Six with stealth on his side, he knew the routes of the night guard and was able to evade them with relative ease and any which he couldn't avoid he knocked out.

He headed away from his home; darting through the shadows towards Rukongai and the outlying region beyond where it would be safe to open up a course of transportation.

He came to a stop in a clearing, shivering slightly as he was gushed by cold wind and mist; he shook it off and drew his sword, hesitating before he allowed Shirosaki to take control of his soul for a few moments, hacking through the air, and carving open a small Garganta before the Inner Hollow retreated.

"Ichigo!"

He spun around with wide eyes, "R-Renji?! What are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you by the looks of it." The redhead smirked as he walked over, his Zanpakto slung causally over his shoulder, "We're getting a spanking for this regardless, so let's get a spanking together."

"I can't believe you just said that..." the strawberry groaned.

"Neither can I!" Rukia announced as she appeared as well, "That's just... So gross Renji!"

"Whatever, you know it is true." The redhead shrugged, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to rescue Nii-sama of course." She answered simply "He cannot be left with Aizen, it would kill him."

Ichigo glanced at his two friends, "Well, I'm glad that it wasn't just me thinking that. But you know we are going to be in a lot of trouble for this right?"

"Who cares about that? Nii-sama's life is at risk and the Head Captain doesn't seem to care!" Rukia exclaimed, grabbing Ichigo's hand, "We need to do this."

"I know we do," the strawberry breathed, "And believe me, I wouldn't leave Byakuya there for a moment longer than necessary, he can't be left there to suffer because no one was brave enough to defy orders and rescue him."

"Hey, can anyone join this party or is it just for the select few?" a familiar voice asked from the trees.

"Huh..." Ichigo turned on his heel and looked around with a surprised expression, "Well if it isn't Mr 69 himself! Hisagi!"

"That nickname has stuck hasn't it? Damn." The Fukutaichou of Division Nine ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Well whatever, I'm going too, but more because I need to find out what Tousen-Taichou was thinking when he signed up to helping Aizen betraying us all."

"Well... As long as that means Kazeshini is gonna bust some heads with the rest of us?" Renji asked as he clapped the man on the back.

"Maybe, if you ask nicely." Hisagi smirked slightly and walked further forwards, "Oh yeah, I brought Kira with me too."

"Kira?" Ichigo repeated before he saw the blond man partially concealed behind one of the trees, "Uh, yeah you can stop hiding now."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if I would be welcome or not..." the blond said with a meek smile as he moved to join the group.

"More swords the better." Ichigo said simply.

The five of them moved into a line in front of the Garganta before they shared a glance and made the leap into the abyss.

Aizen looked up as the intercom buzzed and he pressed a button on the arm of his large chair, "What is it Ulquiorra?"

"A Garganta just opened on the Sands, Aizen-sama; the cameras have picked up the movement of five people... They are Shinigami without a doubt. And one of them is the orange haired boy, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Excellent, thank you Ulquiorra," he smirked slightly, "Ready a fitting welcome for them."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

As the connection broke, Aizen let out a chuckle, pleased that his plan had come together and Ichigo had been subsequently lured into his domain. Now, he would never leave.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the delay in updating, I have restarted college so my updates will probably be a little delayed from now on because I am going to be really busy, I'm taking 3 A levels and a GCSE so LOTS OF WORK haha!**

**Thank you for the reviews! I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter Seventeen: Details:**

Ichigo yelled out and threw himself out of the path of a raging Hollow and arched his sword around, firing a brilliant arc of blue-white light towards it; severing its arm from its shoulder before he got to his feet and panted as he backed up, only to be hit in the back by another Hollow's tail; he grunted as he was tossed through the air like a ragdoll and groaned as he hit the sand and rolled to a stop.

He rolled onto his back and faltered as the first Hollow he had attacked loomed over him, bringing its remaining hand down towards him with the intention of firmly flattening him into the ground, but breathed a sigh of relief as Hisagi came out of nowhere and impaled the damned persistent Hollow in the head with the sharp spike of his Zanpakto's Shikai form.

Having been given a momentary reprieve, Ichigo rolled up onto his feet and looked at the others, Kira and Renji were fighting a two headed snake-like Hollow while Rukia was tackling a small monkey shaped Hollow which was fast on its feet and even faster with its taunts. Hisagi had moved on to fight the larger Hollow which had struck Ichigo with its tail and he sighed as he watched how well everyone was fighting.

He seemed to only be getting in the way at the moment, perhaps it was to do with the constant niggling of Shiro's restlessness in his head, or maybe it was the overwhelming concern he was feeling for his lost lover. Whatever it was, he had to set it aside so that he could concentrate on the battles at hand.

Deciding upon that course of action, he threw himself back into the fight, assisting Rukia in trying to catch the speedy monkey Hollow who continued to evade her attacks.

-/-

Byakuya sighed as he felt the scientist's eyes on him again and he did his very best to ignore it. Apparently, according to Aizen's mockery, Szayel Aporro Granz had '_convinced_' him to allow Byakuya a room in the Laboratory so that he could be properly '_taken care of_' because of '_the severity of the malnutrition_' he had been experiencing at Ulquiorra's hand.

Indeed he had flourished under the pink haired man's courteous treatment, and his back had been much improved as far as the ache was concerned since being allowed to sleep on a bed rather than up against the wall. Yet, he could not shake the feeling of discomfort he felt while under the man's scrutiny; there was something distinctively disconcerting.

Not to mention, he had begun to notice some strange marks over his body; at first they had been small things like little bruises or pinpricks under the skin, but then they began to get larger and he saw strange scars and small cuts which he didn't remember having gotten during his waking hours. Given the Espada's occupation and mannerisms he had begun to consider the fact that Szayel might have been conducting experiments on him while he was sleeping, which was doing nothing if not adding to his growing anxiety.

And then there was that all important agitating and infuriating thing...

"Byakuya-chan, lunch is ready; you'd better come and eat while it is still hot so you can enjoy it." Szayel's voice rang.

Yes. The nickname, it was worse than Yoruichi's 'Little Byakuya'... Even as a child he had never been called '_Byakuya-chan_' it was belittling, childish and completely offensive to his Kuchiki Pride! He was a nobleman, he was a Taichou, he was a powerfully Hollow hunting machine and a very proficient lover, and yet he was being called 'Byakuya-chan' as though he was a scolded child in the care of the most annoying and pestering baby-sitter ever.

Sighing, he slid out of his chair and moved over to the table where his plate had been left; all the while telling himself that he was only doing as he was told because if he didn't he would starve again and it wasn't worthy while going through that for the sake of having been giving an exceedingly frustrating nickname.

Sitting down, he stirred the nutrient soup around for a couple of minutes before he spooned some into his mouth and swallowed the surprisingly tasty liquid. His eyes flicked up as he saw movement and he forced a hesitant smile as the pink haired scientist sat down opposite him with his own bowl of food, he sighed inwardly and looked back down.

"You seem sad Byakuya-chan..." The scientist ventured, still smiling widely but with a frighteningly predatory look in his amber eyes.

"I miss my home, my friends and my lover." He stated, "Would you not be sad as well?"

"Perhaps." He shrugged, "But perhaps it would lighten your heart if I were to divulge some top secret Espada information upon your soft ears."

The noble raised an eyebrow, but refused to look up, "What information?"

"Five Captain level Shinigami infiltrated the Sands of Hueco Mundo two days ago and have been fighting their way towards Las Noches even since. Among them was a tiny woman with a beautiful white sword, blessed with ice powers; and most distinguishably a strong man with fiery orange hair and a sword the same size as his own body." Szayel's mouth twitched into an expression of amused smugness when Byakuya's gaze snapped to his.

"Ichigo is here?"

"Indeed, Aizen-sama is ecstatic!" he chuckled, sweeping a hand through his hair.

The grey eyed male faltered momentarily and looked down, "My sister is here too... The woman with the ice sword..." he sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Fools. They shouldn't have come; this was exactly what Aizen wanted damnit."

"Well there is no use crying over spilt milk, they are here and they are trying to rescue you. As foolish as their attempt might be it is going to be amusing to see whether or not they can get anywhere." He tilted his head slightly, "Of course, the Espada might act and kill them before they can even invade our lovely home but who knows?"

Byakuya gulped but refused to comment, inwardly praying for Ichigo and Rukia's safety, and the safety of the others who had accompanied them, he swallowed another mouthful of his food and fell into a refined silence; well aware that he was being pored over and analysed every passing second.

-/-

Ichigo grumbled as they started flash-stepping across the sands again, all slightly weary, and bloodied from their constant fights with the Hollows occupying the Sands.

On top of that, Las Noches never seemed to get any closer, the entire Palace was so big that no matter how far they seemed to run, they never seemed to get any nearer to it or an entrance to it.

Moping his brow as he moved, Ichigo moved closer to Renji, who had been quiet since their last fight, "You okay Renji?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, just worried about the Captain." He answered, "And you as well."

"You're worried about me?" he repeated.

The redhead nodded, "Yeah... You've been weird since we got here."

Ichigo looked away for a moment and then glanced at him, "My Hollow is restless... It's all the Hollow reiatsu here... Its calling to him, making it hard for him to stay calm when the instinct to fight and devour is so... Strong." He sighed, "I'm fighting it, but if we encountered someone like the guys who stole Byakuya away I'm not sure I would be able to anymore."

"I understand," he smiled weakly; "Your friends will help you stay level."

"I know and I'm counting on you Renji."

-/-

Aizen smirked as he watched the groups' progress on the wall sized screen that was next to his chair; he rested his chin on his knuckles and chuckled as he zoomed in on Ichigo's face, liking the determined yet cautious expression on the young man's face as he dashed to his Captain's rescue.

He glanced sideways as he heard Gin move and he turned his chair, facing the fox with a plain expression which gave nothing away, "Problems Gin?"

"No not at all Aizen-Taichou," the man flourished his classical smile as his slid closer and closer to him, "However I thought ya might find it interestin' to learn that our dear Szayel has taken something of a shine to ya guest."

"Oh?" he question, quirking a manicured eyebrow in response to the information, "How so?"

"He looks at our dear Byakuya as though he wants to eat him bless."

Aizen waved a hand dismissively, "That is normal for him; I wouldn't be overly concerned about it..."

"He's also been experimentin' on him while he's been asleep..." Gin added as he lifted his sleeve hidden hand to his mouth, trying to hide his amusement, "Not to mention the cute expressions he has been flashin' at him."

"Truly?" the brunet asked, "That is... Curious. I might have to look into it after all. We don't want poor Szayel getting too attached with the toys after all; he only gets depressed when they are taken away from him after all."

The other giggled behind his sleeve and cracked his left eye open, "And are ya going to take his newest toy away from him?"

"Regrettably I will be forced to once Ichigo and the others make it into the Palace, Szayel's Laboratory is far too easily accessed for my liking."

"Oh you are wicked Aizen-Taichou!" the silver haired man lowered his hand slowly and looked out of the large windows behind the new Lord of Las Noches, "How long do ya think it will take for them to reach us?"

"Not too much longer. Ulquiorra is watching their progress and is relaying the information every few hours. But his calculations they will be here by daybreak."

"Now if only we had a sun to tell 'daybreak' by." He sighed and started walking away, "Want me to deal with Szayel?"

"No, I will handle him. I want you to go and watch the others with Ulquiorra, ensure he is not distracted by Grimmjow." The brunet said as he stood up and brushed his white clothes down restlessly.

"Very well Aizen-Taichou!" the man chirped before he disappeared in a flicker of flash-step.

The brunet chuckled under his breath, casting a glance out of the windows as he sensed out Ichigo's reiatsu before he smirked widely and headed out of the door.

-/-

Grimmjow bit down firmly on Ulquiorra's ear and smirked as he felt the usually emotionless male shudder in response as he kept his emerald green eyes fixed upon the dozens of screens linked up to the cameras outside of the Palace. He chuckled under his breath as the Cuarto Espada wriggled slightly and tried to pry himself out of his strong arms but failed to do so.

"Grimmjow, I have my duties to attend to which are getting increasingly difficult to do with you pestering me like persistent trash." He said in mild annoyance.

"Aw you love it," the blue haired male purred, "Otherwise you would have fired a Cero at me by now."

"I cannot fire a Cero, it would damage the hardware and Aizen-sama would scold me for it." He protested.

He laughed, "Oh come on, that's never bothered you before." He breathed as he leaned in and kissed his neck, "If it did, you wouldn't still be with me, babe."

"Ugh do not call me that ridiculous pet name, I am _not_ a baby." He growled, but his voice turned into a sigh as he felt his lips working against his pulse, "Stop! I can sense Ichimaru-sama!"

"Don't mind me lovebirds." The silver haired foxed laughed as he walked past and sat down beside them both, "I'm just here to back you up if your eyes get distracted."

"Do-Don't be preposterous." The pale skinned Espada gasped and shoved Grimmjow away from him as his cheeks flared with colour, "I am hardly distracted."

"The tent in your hakama says different."

"What?!"

"He's messing with you, babe." Grimmjow grinned, slinging an arm around his shoulders and pulling him against his chest.

Grimmjow and Gin began exchanging light hearted humour, allowing Ulquiorra to attend to his security duties as he kept his eyes on the group of Shinigami who were moving towards their home with great speed and resilience.

When the only one with black hair stood up, startling both other men, they knew something had happened.

"They're at the entrance." He announced.

"How did they cover that so quickly?!" Grimmjow demanded to know as he stood up and double checked the cameras.

"I have no idea: they must have sped up or something similar."

"Shit..." Gin breathed before he pressed a button and raised the alarm which began blaring above them like a siren.

-/-

Ichigo raised his sword and brought it down sharply, "Getsuga Tenshou!" he cried, blasting a hole through the wall and making their own entrance into the Palace, hopefully without detection.


End file.
